Charleston nurse concerned about Ebola as coworker returns from Cameroon

Roper Hospital managers confirm a nurse currently traveling in Africa will return to work as scheduled Friday.

A nurse at the hospital, who wishes to remain anonymous, called News 2 with concerns about Ebola and the possibility the nurse could bring home germs from traveling in Africa and contact she will have with others in airports.

“Me and my coworkers are at risk. It puts our families at risk and our patient population,” she said in an interview with News 2.

A hospital spokesperson confirmed the nurse is visiting family this week in Cameroon, which is not a zone of concern for the CDC or the hospital’s Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Steven Shapiro.

“We don’t expect to have any risks associated with travel to that area,” Dr. Shapiro said. “The risk that she will have Ebola is virtually zero.”

“It’s normal for people to be concerned, but we also need to be rational,” Carolyn Donohue, Vice President of Nursing, said

According to the CDC, Cameroon is at a travel alert level 2. That means visitors are encouraged to practice enhanced precaution, but that’s not because of Ebola.

For those on the front lines at the hospital, that’s just not comforting.

“It just worries me,” the concerned nurse told News 2. “Maybe it’s over kill, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.”