Health officials in Springfield went into action this week when a woman suggested she might have Ebola. Turns out, she made up the story.
The woman, who has not been identified, went into a prompt care facility Monday and told doctors she was suffering from Ebola like symptoms. She went on to say she had recently traveled to Africa's Sierra Leone, where Ebola cases are prevalent.
Such a claim about a highly infectious disease was enough to set the response in motion. The woman was transported to a hospital for isolation and monitoring. As that was happening, she recanted. A bit too late though to stop the commotion.
Authorities checked her travel history. Before the day was through, she was cleared and allowed to leave.
A hospital spokesman says when the possibility of having a disease like Ebola is raised, precautions must be taken. That's even when someone admits to lying about it. He says otherwise, a person can change their story to avoid quarantine.