Rats, flu, gum on the shoe. Of all the cringe-worthy things New Yorkers fear in the subway, the possibility of Ebola trumps them all these days. But how likely are we to encounter Ebola underground? Some local officials and experts shed some light:
I've heard that you can only contract Ebola through direct contact with bodily fluids. What about people who spit, sneeze or sweat on the subway?
Dr. Jay Varma, Deputy Commissioner for Disease Control at the NYC Health Department, said on Thursday that while any bodily fluid has the potential to carry Ebola, you can only catch the virus during the stage when someone is critically ill. Varma referenced the fact that, to date, no one who had contact with deceased Ebola victim Thomas Eric Duncan before he developed symptoms has contracted the disease. He also said the chance of someone with fully-developed Ebola using mass transit is unlikely. "People who have the most infectious form of Ebola, they're not running around on the subway," he said. "They're really quite ill and inevitably will end up in a healthcare facility."
What if someone with Ebola coughs on me on the subway? Or rubs up against me?
Dr. Stephen Morse, Professor of Epidemiology at Columbia University, said that touching the skin of someone who is sick with Ebola could spread the disease — and again, that person would have to be severely ill — but he said a cough from an Ebola carrier won't.
Say an infectious person musters the strength to take the subway — how prepared is the MTA for that scenario?
MTA Chairman Thomas Prendergast said on Thursday there are established protocols for dealing with infectious waste on the subway system which have been approved by the New York State Department of Health. Procedures include the removal of buses and trains for cleaning, using aggressive cleaning agents like bleach to disinfect contaminated areas, and issuing proper equipment to protect subway employees. Also, like many of the city's hospitals, drills are being conducted in the subway system to test the preparedness of MTA staff.
How does the city plan to monitor people if they come into contact with a possible Ebola case on the subway?
City Hall spokeswoman Marti Adams said because passengers would have to come in direct physical contact with an Ebola carrier's body fluids to contract the virus, and because such scenarios are "exceedingly rare," officials expect that people would remember those riders and investigators would be able to identify them.
What should I do if there is a sick passenger on the train?
MTA spokesman Adam Lisberg said the protocol for a sick passenger doesn't change in the event of a potential Ebola case. Riders should notify the train crew, an MTA employee or emergency personnel if they encounter an ill passenger.
I hate grabbing the subway pole on a good day. And those subway floors are always covered in mysterious fluids. Should I wear gloves? Wash my shoes in chlorine when I get home?
Dr. Varma said, in theory, the Ebola virus can survive on a surface for several hours. Varma said people should make a habit of washing their hands due to the more likely scenario of contracting the flu or another virus. But you're a subway rider, and you probably already use hand sanitizer liberally — something Varma endorses.