Kaci Hickox Apologizes, Says She Will ‘Stay Away From Public Places’

Kaci Hickox has experienced more media coverage in the last week than most people will ever receive in a lifetime, and with her 21-day “danger zone” close to an end with no apparent manifestation of Ebola, she’ll soon fade out of the 24-hour news cycle.

But she isn’t going without an apology to the people of her Maine town and a vow not to go anywhere near public places until her 21 days are at an end.

Talking to Chuck Todd of Meet The Press Sunday morning, Hickox had this to say.

“I understand that the community has been through a lot in the past week, and I do apologize to them for that,” she said. “I will not go into town into crowded public places.”

Nevertheless, the woman Piers Morgan sarcastically dubbed “the Ebola Angel” stood by her criticisms of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie for forcing a mandatory quarantine on her, which she would go on to defy.

Maine Governor Paul LePage later tried Christie’s forced quarantine as well, prompting a court decision which would go in Hickox’s favor.

That hasn’t stopped the criticisms or the perception that Kaci Hickox is playing politics with public fears of an Ebola epidemic. For many of the commenters over at Mediaite, she has been dubbed “Florence Nightmare.”

“Every town, city needs a Florence Nightmare nurse (who thinks she’s a doctor). She is so convinced she is smarter than the virus, she is willing to f*** you up to prove it.”

“People really hate her. A lot. A whole whole lot.”

“She should understand the public’s panic, as it was never explained how the doctor from NYC contracted the disease (as he was wearing protective gear) and how the NBC cameraman contracted the disease (he said he never was in contact with anyone with the disease) and did the CDC or anyone ever explain how they got the virus?”

“Kaci Hickox was an Ebola Tourist. There… I said it…. She only went over there for a month and can only recall one 10-year-old girl she treated personally… when many volunteers stay over there for far longer.”

It’s debatable whether all of the criticisms or fair, but most Americans are wondering why anyone would want to risk infecting others over 21 days, a point that Morgan repeatedly hit on in the link above.

http://youtu.be/9iorPfc6cPw

What do you think of Kaci Hickox? Good that she apologized, totally in the right, totally in the wrong or somewhere in between?