Dr. Céline Goundermedical correspondent, CBS News · physician, epidemiologist, medical journalist

In 2014 CNN Asked Me About Subway Poles and Bowling Balls During Ebola | celinegounder.com

Name: In 2014 CNN Asked Me About Subway Poles and Bowling Balls During Ebola | celinegounder.com
Uploaded: 2026-05-17T05:20:10+00:00
Duration: 43 s
Channel: Dr. Céline Gounder
Description: In this brief excerpt from a 2026 interview, Dr. Céline Gounder reflects on her experience as an Ebola patient in New York City during the fall of 2014…

17 May 2026 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

0:43

In this brief excerpt from a 2026 interview, Dr. Céline Gounder reflects on her experience as an Ebola patient in New York City during the fall of 2014 and recounts a 2014 CNN interview with Brooke Baldwin. She criticizes the media’s focus on sensational, trivial details—specifically “subway poles and bowling balls”—instead of addressing who was truly at risk and suffering during the outbreak. The segment underscores her frustration with how the story was framed then and questions how such framing persists or has evolved a decade later, highlighting the importance of responsible public‑health communication.

Chapters

So you were an Ebola patient in New York City in the fall of 2014. And I remember vividly, I was on CNN with Brooke Baldwin in 2014. You were already back in New York. Mm-hmm. And she's asking me about subway poles and bowling balls. Seriously, subway poles and bowling balls, and you're not paying attention to who's actually at risk and who is suffering, right? We're more than 10 years later. What is your reaction to the way this is being framed now?