Katie Couric self-quarantines after meeting with coronavirus-hit friend Rick Cotton triggers a Twitter storm
Journalist and TV personality Katie Couric has opted for a voluntary self-quarantine after she spent time with Rick Cotton, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, just before he was diagnosed with coronavirus.
Giving in to the pressure of Twiterrati, Couric came up with her decision, an hour after saying she would not stay at home.
The former Yahoo global news anchor said in a tweet that she talked to an official of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), who assured her that she is at a low risk because of the nature of the duration and nature of the contact. She then said that she would still be working from home for safety reasons and would visit the doctor if she is not feeling well.
The veteran journalist sparked a storm on Twitter by sharing a newspaper article confirming the diagnosis of Cotton with coronavirus on Monday, March 9.
Couric's meeting with Cotton leaves fans worried
“Rick Cotton is an old friend of mine. In fact I just saw him on Saturday for the first time in a long time. Feel better Rick,” Couric tweeted, leaving her fans in turmoil. As they urged the television anchor to self-quarantine, Couric clarified that she had not touched Cotton but only saw him. She also added that she had been advised that there was no need for her to stay back at home.
“OK people - thank you for your concern!! I have a few updates: So far I've talked to someone from @WHO who referred me to the @HealthNYGov which told me that it was not necessary to self-quarantine. This was also confirmed by my primary care physician,” she said in another tweet.
In an explainer, Couric tweeted: “My interaction was a 90-second conversation with an asymptomatic person and involved no physical contact. I am now quadruple checking with the CDC. But overall, the people I spoke to said to continue using common sense and good hygiene practices and if I start having symptoms or not feeling well I should go to my primary care doctor immediately.”
“Hopefully, this is helpful for anyone who deals with this in the future + I will keep you guys updated as soon as I have more info!”
The fans were not convinced, however, and advised Couric to quarantine herself.
“Um....maybe time to self-quarantine Katie....,” one fan wrote.
“Are you self-quarantined? Because that's the thing to do,” another wrote.
New York Governor Andrew M Cuomo on Monday announced Cotton’s confirmation of coronavirus. According to the Democrat, Cotton had been on the ground at airports while overseeing the Port Authority’s response to the virus’ outbreak. Cotton subsequently was working from home where he was isolated.