Dr. Craig Spencer, a Manhattan doctor, was released from the Bellevue Hospital on Tuesday after being treated for the deadly Ebola virus disease, which was has killed around 5,000 worldwide.
"I am pleased to announce that we were able to treat and cure a hero who put himself in harm's way to care for others," Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) president Dr. Ram Raju said in a statement. "Today, we also show the world that HHC and the public health care system are at the forefront of cutting edge medicine. When New York City had the urgent need to prepare for Ebola it was HHC that stepped forward first and did the job right."
Spencer reportedly contracted the virus when he treated Ebola patients as part of "Doctors Without Borders" in Guinea. He was admitted to a hospital in Bellevue on Oct. 23 after showing symptoms of the deadly disease. Shortly after undergoing blood test, doctors confirmed that the 33-year-old had the virus.
When the news about Spencer broke out last month, health authorities immediately made a thorough search for people who had contact with the patient in New York. Luckily, there are no other confirmed cases of Ebola at this point, although Spencer's fiancée, Morgan Dixon, and two friends are still under quarantine.
In a statement, Spencer expressed gratitude to doctors who risked their lives to treat him, while also adding that his recovery is a clear proof that the Ebola virus disease can be controlled by following strict protocols and using advanced treatments.
"My recovery from Ebola speaks to the effectiveness of the protocols in place for health staff returning from West Africa at the time of my infection," Spencer said in a statement. "I am a living example of how those protocols work, and of how early detection and isolation is critical to both surviving Ebola and ensuring that it is not transmitted to others."
Following Spencer's release from the hospital, United States health officials declared that the country is officially Ebola-free at this point because the doctor is the last confirmed Ebola patient in the U.S.
