Where Dr. Spencer went before he showed Ebola symptoms

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Monday, October 27, 2014
Where Dr. Spencer went before he showed symptoms
Investigative reporter Jim Hoffer has a closer look at the doctor's activity in recent days.

WILLIAMSBURG (WABC) -- The doctor in New York City who is confirmed to have Ebola visited a bowling alley, a park, and rode the subway and in an Uber taxi before experiencing symptoms.

Authorities are now working to retrace Dr. Craig Spencer's steps.

He arrived at JFK Airport from Guinea via Brussels on October 17.

On October 21, he visited The Meatball Shop at 64 Greenwich Avenue in Greenwich Village. The shop is being assessed and is expected to reopen Friday. He also visited the High Line park and went to the Blue Bottle Coffee Shop on Tenth Avenue and West 16th Street in Chelsea. At the time, he was only feeling fatigued.

The next day, Spencer went on a 3-mile run along Riverside Drive and in his neighborhood. He then took the L and A trains to go bowling in Williamsburg at the Gutter. At the time, he had no temperature elevation.

"The Gutter," one of Williamsburg's two bowling alleys, was shuttered and thoroughly cleaned.

He took an Uber cab home from the bowling alley.

Uber spokesperson Kristin Carvell released a statement saying, "We reviewed our records and were able to confirm that one of our driver partners in New York provided a ride to the patient yesterday evening. We immediately contacted the CDC and NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH), which stated that neither our driver partner nor any of his subsequent passengers are at risk. We have communicated this to the driver, and the NYC DOHMH medical team met with the driver in person, assuring him that he is not at risk. Our thoughts are with the patient and his loved ones."

Then, on October 23, Spencer took his temperature between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. That was the first symptom, with a fever of 100.3 degrees. He then contacted authorities.

Dr. Spencer told health officials that he did not begin to feel symptoms until Thursday morning. In theory, authorities say ordinary New Yorkers have little to fear.

Bellevue Hospital medical workers who volunteered to treat Dr. Spencer at Bellevue are being allowed to leave at the end of their shifts, in line with Ebola protocols used elsewhere in the country.

Disease detectives are still fleshing out every place he went and everyone he has had contact with since 7 a.m. on October 21.