NBC Medical Editor Who Violated Ebola Quarantine Still Absent

Sarah Palin, who is co-hosting NBC News' "Today" show, talks as Dr. Nancy Snyderman sits next to her in New York on Tuesday, April 3, 2012. Palin was the much-hyped guest co-host on NBC's "Today," going head-to-head ... Sarah Palin, who is co-hosting NBC News' "Today" show, talks as Dr. Nancy Snyderman sits next to her in New York on Tuesday, April 3, 2012. Palin was the much-hyped guest co-host on NBC's "Today," going head-to-head against former "Today" anchor Katie Couric, who this week is subbing on "Good Morning America" at her current workplace, ABC. (AP Photo/NBC, Peter Kramer) MORE LESS
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Dr. Nancy Snyderman’s status at NBC News remains in limbo, but she could resume her duties as the network’s chief medical editor soon.

Snyderman has been sidelined ever since she violated a voluntary quarantine in October following her return to the United States from Liberia, where she and a crew had been covering the Ebola outbreak.

NBC said previously that she would return at some point in November, but the month came and went without a word from Snyderman on television or social media.

CNN’s Brian Stelter cited NBC employees who said that only “top executives of the news division” know what will happen to Snyderman, but they do expect her to return to the air soon.

Snyderman found herself in hot water after she violated her self-imposed 21-day quarantine with a trip to a New Jersey restaurant. The lapse contradicted advice that Snyderman had dispensed and prompted New Jersey health officials to institute a mandatory quarantine.

But Snyderman also had defenders. Ashoka Mukpo, a freelance photojournalist who contracted Ebola while covering the outbreak in West Africa for NBC News, gave a “shout out” to Snyderman on Twitter in October.

Mukpo, who worked alongside Snyderman for a short time in Liberia, was successfully treated for the virus at the Nebraska Medical Center.

“For the record me and her were never within 3 feet of each other once,” Mukpo said in the tweet. “Be nice to her plz.”

At the conclusion of the 21-day quarantine in October, NBC News president Deborah Turness said that Snyderman and her crew would be taking more time off, possibly to allow the controversy to subside.

“We very much look forward to their return next month,” Turness said in an internal memo at the time.

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Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for mantan mantan says:

    only “top executives of the news division” know

    A punch line in the middle of a story?!?!?

  2. Oh, they’ll bring Snyderman back at some point. As soon as the dust settles and Ebola has become politically passe’ as a identifiably charged issue. We’re only at the nonplussed stage at this point, now that the midterms are over…so, she’s well on her way to making her comeback. In another month, the bigwigs at NBC are likely to give Snyderman her very own Ebola Primetime Special to let us all how it felt like. And…no, no one will watch it, which will be proof that no one cared all that much about her or this over-inflated fear-mongering issue the first fucking place.

  3. Avatar for clk clk says:

    They are probably waiting until Chuck Todd can fit her into his program so he can ask her the tough questions “what was the food like on your trip?” “were you offended that you protective gear didn’t match your hair?” “Did they make you wear flat shoes or could you take your spiked heels along?”

    We can count on Chuck to get the nitty gritty for us.

  4. The free-lance journalist tweeted:

    “For the record me and her were never within 3 feet of each other once…”

    Wow

  5. Maybe she died from Ebola and only the top executives know.

    This is a joke. She went out for a pizza after she agreed to remain in quarantine. Her word is worthless. She has nothing to say to anyone.

    It is not that she was ever a danger to the public, it is that she voluntarily agreed to the quarantine and then broke her promise when keeping it was inconvenient. Until she proves she can be trusted, why would anyone put her on the air.

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