FORT KENT, Maine — Whenever Ted Wilbur, the boyfriend of nurse Kaci Hickox, decides to return to classes on the University of Maine at Fort Kent campus, officials say they have a plan in place to respond to student concerns about exposure to Ebola.
As it stands, there is nothing the campus can do at this point to prevent Wilbur, a nursing student, from returning to the university at any time before Nov. 10, Raymond Phinney, UMFK associate dean of student life, said Monday morning.
“I am not concerned he is a threat to anyone’s health,” Phinney said. “My only concern is how the other students would react to him being here.”
Wilbur last week agreed to stay at the home he shares with Hickox and to participate in his classes via the Internet.
On Monday, Phinney did not say whether Wilbur was trying to return to classes sooner than Nov. 10.
“Whenever he chooses to come back, no matter when, that is when we need to have conversations with the students in his classes to make sure they are aware of the situation,” Phinney said.
Some of those students, Phinney said, are concerned about having Wilbur back in class before the 21-day incubation period for Ebola expires for Hickox.
“Ted is aware there are some real concerns,” Phinney said. “Most [students] are concerned about the ‘what ifs,’ like, ‘What if Kaci begins to show symptoms?’”
“We have told him what our plans are whenever he chooses to come back and what we would do,” Phinney said. “No matter what, the safety of our students is our number one concern and that extends to Ted.”
In a text message Monday morning, Wilbur said he would prefer to wait to comment on any plans UMFK is making until they are completed.
Hickox returned to Fort Kent last week after flying in to New York on Oct. 24 from West Africa, where she treated Ebola patients. She is not considered contagious, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control, since she has tested negative for the virus and shown no symptoms.
On Monday, a ttorneys for Hickox and the state agreed that a temporary court order issued Friday by a Maine District Court judge will remain in place until 11:59 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10. That order requires daily monitoring and some restrictions on travel but does not mandate Hickox be isolated at home.
Both Hickox and Wilbur, however, told Fort Kent Police Chief Tom Pelletier over the weekend that in spite of the court decision they did not plan on going into town to shop or eat.
“They understand the sentiment in the community, and they do not want to be disruptive,” Pelletier said Saturday.
Wilbur has been participating in his accelerated nursing program at UMFK via online classes as Hickox completes her monitoring period.
Last week Wilbur told the media that taking his classes online was not ideal and prevented him from taking exams or participating in on-campus assignments.
“They told me I can do [the exams] next month,” he said last week. “But that is going to mean a really rough December.”
Wilbur added that it would be nice if UMFK President Wilson Hess took steps to allow his return to campus sooner rather than later.
On Monday morning, Hess said there is a “transition plan” in place for Wilbur’s return. He said staffers, headed by Phinney, were working with the nursing student on how best to implement that plan for all involved.
“We have begun the process to work that out with the faculty and with Ted,” Hess said. “We are doing so in such a way that it does not cause undue consternation on the student body.”
Phinney said, “Many people do understand [Hickox] is not contagious until or if she showed symptoms. Our students understand that at that point Ted would go into quarantine.”
Faculty and staff at UMFK are ready to work with Wilbur as he continues to pursue his nursing degree, Phinney said.
“I have checked with his classes to make sure he is able to connect online,” Phinney said. “We do understand being on the phone and actually being in the class are two different things”
According to Phinney, Wilbur is at the senior year level in his nursing program, but he is not expected to have his course work completed in time for May’s commencement.
Wilbur had taken part in clinical work last month at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, but Phinney said as far as he knows, Wilbur is done with all his clinical assignments.
Whatever Wilbur decides to do and share with UMFK officials, Phinney said he, in turn, would share with Fort Kent Police Chief Tom Pelletier.
On Monday, Pelletier said he had not heard from Wilbur about his plans for returning to UMFK. He did say, however, that the two had communicated about getting an absentee ballot to Wilbur so he can vote in Tuesday’s elections.
“We are working out how we can make that work,” Pelletier said.
