Ebola in NYC on the Street Where I Live

By now you’ve likely heard: a cause of Ebola has been confirmed in NYC.

I could’ve been the first to tell you. Why? The infected individual lives on my street. On my block. I’m not kidding.

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The current scene at the end of the block where I live: reporters and cameras everywhere

Yesterday started off strange: myself and my 2 roommates all had the day off. This never happens. My roommate April came back from the laundromat around noon. She busted into the apartment, frantic.

“Why is no one picking up their phones!” she cried, “I’ve been calling you both for 15 minutes!”

My other roommate Rose and I had been eating lunch in the kitchen, our phones lying unattended in our bedrooms. “Sorry!” we both apologized, “What’s up? What happened?”

“The whole street in blocked off,” April said, “Police everywhere. I stood there for 15 minutes with my huge laundry bag. I didn’t have my ID and the police weren’t letting any one on the block who doesn’t live here.”

What the hell? What was going on?

“They wouldn’t tell me anything!” April said, “One cop said, ‘It’s really bad.'”

We speculated: Bomb threat? No, they would’ve evacuated us. Drug bust? Maybe. Human trafficking? Brothel? What the hell was going on?

None of us guessed Ebola. The thought didn’t fleet through our minds, not for a moment.

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That evening CNN, Fox News, ABC, every network was reporting the confirmed case of Ebola. All these networks were swarming my street. They were still there this morning. I was interviewed by NPR 9AM, I hope I don’t regret agreeing to that!

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Caught these pictures on my walk home. These are all reporters. My neighborhood’s never seen this kind of activity as long as I’ve lived here.

So my neighbor has Ebola. Poor guy, my heart goes out to him and his loved ones. No, I did not know him. Lucky because he was a doctor, philanthropic, and cute. As a single woman in NYC, cliché would indicate that, had I known him, I would have been unable to resist swapping spit with him. Oh, wait, all articles mention his fiancé (who is now quarantined). Okay so there’s no way I ever would have or could have had contact with Craig Spencer‘s bodily fluids!

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New Yorkers are notorious for not knowing their neighbors. We don’t knock next door looking to borrow a cup of sugar, much less a cup of bodily fluids. Am I concerned about contracting Ebola? No. Dude was a doctor and he was diligently monitoring for any symptoms. The chance he was actually contagious and in public is miniscule.

However, I do have a list of concerns regarding Ebola in NYC:

1 Is it possible to buy stock in hand sanitizer? Because if so I need to get on that. Sales have no doubt already skyrocketed.

2 Will surgical masks become in vogue? Because I really don’t think I can rock this look…

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This is already not uncommon in Japan. via

3 How many inappropriate “topical” Halloween costumes will be Ebola themed? Because that’ll get old really quick, like, immediately.

4 Am I morally obligated to tell my date tomorrow that I live on the same block as the one confirmed case of Ebola in NYC? On the bright side, if he’s so paranoid about Ebola that he doesn’t kiss me, that’ll be a clear deal breaker.

5 Are my friends and family who know I live on this street going to worry about me? Because I hope they realize my chance of somehow being electrocuted by the subway is far greater than me catching Ebola. That every time I walk under the scaffold across the street, the chance of it collapsing on me is far greater than me catching Ebola. That every time I buy ice cream from my neighborhood bodega, the chance I choke on a cherry in the Cherry Garcia is far greater than me catching Ebola.

I’m not making light of Ebola. The disease is serious, the situation in Africa is dire. But here in NYC, in America, we are fine. There are millions of more things we should be concerned about. I’m much more freaked out that this city is going to freak out than I am of any epidemic. Keep calm, NYC, we’re gonna be okay.

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About New York Cliche

NYC lifestyle blog by Mary Lane. Events, adventures, epic mistakes, dating, life, humor. A 30-something trying to make it (and make out) in the city of dreams.

9 thoughts on “Ebola in NYC on the Street Where I Live

  1. OMG this is amazing. And you are absolutely, positively right. Now just stay out from under scaffolding and away from the subway, apparently 😛

    I am just amazed at how many people are panicking about ebola when it’s not a new disease by any means and we’ve already known how it spreads for years. Just keep not touching vomit and sweat and stuff and we’ll all be okay. 😀
    Samantha recently posted…A Conversation-Starter in my Back PocketMy Profile

  2. Oh my! Firstly, I hope he recovers soon and secondly, wow, so many reporters! It’s not like they’re going to be able to say very much. It reminds me of when all the reporters camped out for the birth of William and Kate’s baby and, of course, they just kept re-hashing the same ‘news’.

    Haha, stocks and shares in hand sanitizer sound like a great idea! 😀
    Grace @ Cultural Life recently posted…I Got the (Final Year) BluesMy Profile

  3. You are hilarious! And right, although I have to admit, it’s kind of hard not to panic at the mere thought of getting this disease. (Riding the same train as this doctor, or bowling at the same time.) Let’s just hope this whole damn thing blows over –– and fast. At least you had a little excitement on your block. This scenario will no doubt make it to some NYC TV show one day.

    I would hold off on kissing anyone you don’t know…at least for now! LOL!
    Tracy Kaler recently posted…Tailgating with Jets + Chefs at NYCWFFMy Profile

  4. I’m not going to lie — Ebola freaks me out. But I’m a worrier. I know the likelihood of getting it is slim to none, but the fact that it’s out there makes me queasy.

    That’s so random that he lives on your block! Crazy that there was that much media out there. It’s a big story, but the guy is entitled to some privacy.
    Cherie recently posted…Why I Wear MakeupMy Profile

  5. lol… I especially like the last Important Health Guideline!! 😉 We’ve had our Hazmat suit training up here… crazy days. I can’t believe he lives on your street… we’ve been talking about him up here since the news broke. I could have really freaked everyone out and said I knew someone on his street… maybe they’d have thought I’d catch it over the Internet and been taken out of work! If only…. 🙂
    Blythe recently posted…The magic of change….My Profile

  6. Great minds think alike! How do you feel about all the flights from west Africa being routed through JFK? As someone who flies into or out of JFK three or four times a year I’m not thrilled. Could you make sure they’ve got that all cleared up by January? (That’s the next time I’m going through JFK)

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