LIVE STREAMING
Graphics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control

Spanish-language resources vital in New York Ebola outreach

Despite media attention, many Americans don't understand how Ebola spreads. Officials are reaching out with Spanish-language materials to neighbors of the New…

MORE IN THIS SECTION

50 Years of Community Advoca

Helping Those in Need

Closer to Homeownership

Hispanic Leaders Meeting

L'ATTITUDE is On!

Leading U.S. Economy

Lifting Diverse Businesses

SBA Announcement

SHARE THIS CONTENT:

When Doctors Without Borders volunteer Craig Spencer showed symptoms of Ebola, officials began retracing his steps and reaching out to those he may have contacted, including his Spanish-speaking neighbors.

Spencer lives in the gentrifying neighborhood of Hamilton Heights, Manhattan, which is home to many Puerto Rican and Dominican residents. Fox News Latino reported that while officials have been passing out Spanish-language resources and increasing bilingual outreach efforts, many people are still unaware of how the disease spreads.

An Associated Press and GfK poll found that those New Yorkers are not alone — one in four Americans admit that they don’t understand how Ebola spreads.

Ebola is not airborne — a cough, for example, won’t spread the virus. The incubation period is from 2 to 21 days, which explains how Spencer easily passed tests in Guinea and at John F. Kennedy airport before going home and showing symptoms several days later. Those infected are only contagious when they are showing symptoms like vomiting or fever. Even then, infected bodily fluids — vomit, blood, diarrhea, urine and saliva — must go into another person's mouth, eyes or open cuts in order for the disease to spread.

Three people who came in contact with Spencer after he displayed symptoms are being monitored in quarantine. In West Africa, where Spencer had treated Ebola patients, nearly 5,000 people have died of the virus so far.

 
  • LEAVE A COMMENT:

  • Join the discussion! Leave a comment.

  • or
  • REGISTER
  • to comment.
  • LEAVE A COMMENT:

  • Join the discussion! Leave a comment.

  • or
  • REGISTER
  • to comment.
00:00 / 00:00
Ads destiny link