An American journalist working as a cameraman for NBC in Liberia was tested positive for Ebola. The man, whose name remains anonymous at his family’s request, was hired on Tuesday to be the second cameraman for Dr. Nancy Snyderman, the chief medical editor and correspondent for NBC news. On Wednesday he began showing illness symptoms and was later diagnosed with Ebola. As a safety precaution, the cameraman, together with the entire team he was working with, will be flown back to the US where they will be placed under quarantine and receive proper medical treatment.
Deborah Turness, the NBC News president, reportedly announced in a note to staff that: ‘We are doing everything we can to get him the best care possible. He will be flown back to the United States for treatment at a medical center that is equipped to handle Ebola patients. We are also taking all possible measures to protect our employees and the general public.’ Despite the fact that only the cameraman tested positive for Ebola, the entire team will be placed under quarantine for 21 days. Unless they show any disease symptoms, they will be released as 21 is the maximum number of days in which the illness can manifest itself.
‘The rest of the crew, including Dr. Nancy, are being closely monitored and show no symptoms or warning signs. However, in an abundance of caution, we will fly them back on a private charter flight and then they will place themselves under quarantine in the United States for 21 days — which is at the most conservative end of the spectrum of medical guidance,’ Turness added in the same note.
[ads2]
The cameraman and writer had been working in Liberia for three years as a freelance journalist. He joined the NBC News team to document the case of a taxi driver who transported a pregnant woman dying of Ebola and a man. That man later flew to Texas and became the first diagnosed Ebola case within the US. He is currently under treatment in a Dallas clinic. So far, the Ebola virus infected over 7,000 people across West Africa. More than 3,000 of those have lost their lives.