Navarro College: Ebola scared

The panic over Ebola virus in the United States has made a college, near Dallas in Texas, to send out letters to applicants from Nigeria telling them they will not be admitted to the school because of the virus.

A Nigerian engineer, Kamorudeen Abidogun, who lives in Richmond, said he received two rejection letters from Navarro College, near Dallas, saying that the school is not accepting international students from countries with confirmed Ebola cases.

The Navarro College letter

Abidogun has five relatives in Nigeria who were applying to the school using his home mailing address.

A letter Mr Abidogun provided to CNBC, and that has been posted on Twitter, carries the signature of Navarro College’s international programs director, Elizabeth Pillans.

After stating that the two-year community college is unable to offer the recipient acceptance for the Spring 2015 term, it quite clearly reads: ‘Navarro College is not accepting international students from countries with confirmed Ebola cases.’

‘I received, last weekend, two rejection letters…saying the reason why they were not giving admission was…Ebola,’ Mr Abidogun told the news channel. He said he was ‘disappointed’ in the school’s stated policy.

Navarro’s vice president for Access and Accountability, Dewayne Gragg, sent an email to CNBC after repeated requests from the station for comments on the situation.

Ebola Scare: another letter by Navarro College

‘Our college values its diverse population of international students,’ it read.

‘This fall we have almost 100 students from Africa. Unfortunately, some students received incorrect information regarding their applications to the institution.’

On the school’s website, Ebola was a major concern, in its message to international students signed by Elizabeth Pillan:

Dear Students,

As you all are aware, there have recently been confirmed cases of the Ebola virus in many countries throughout the world, including the United States. The health and safety of our international and domestic students is a top priority of Navarro College and we would like to provide you with the following information regarding the Ebola virus.

The likelihood of contracting any viral hemorrhagic fever, including Ebola, is considered extremely low unless there has been direct contact with the body fluids of symptomatic infected persons or animals, or objects that have been contaminated with body fluids. All individuals can take these everyday actions to help prevent the spread of illness:

Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and rub your hands vigorously.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Illnesses spread this way.
Avoid close contact with sick people.”

The message also adds links to CDC sites for more information on the disease.

Please see the following articles from the Center of Disease Control (CDC) for additional information about the Ebola virus.

General information from the Centers of Disease Control (CDC): http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/index.html
Signs and symptons: http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/symptoms/index.html
Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/prevention/index.html
Risk of Exposure: http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/exposure/index.html
Please contact me should you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you.
Elizabeth Pillans, Director of International Programs
903-875-7370

Nigeria got entangled with the Ebola virus in September, with the virus brought into the country by a Liberian-American, Patrick Sawyer. But the country was able to quickly contain its spread after killing eight persons.

There is no single case of Ebola in Nigeria at the moment, with World Health Organisation poised to give the country a clean bill in a few days time.

.With Reports by Mail Online