Dr. Craig Spencer is finally free of the Ebola virus, and on Tuesday, November 11, he left his hospital bed and walked out of the hospital to the applause and hugs including from the city mayor Bill de Blasio and his wife.
Hugging has already become a norm as Ebola-free patients are welcomed back to their "normal life." Perhaps it's a grand way of showing the others that these people are definitely free of the disease and are no longer contagious.
In his short press conference, Dr. Spencer shared a glimpse of his work in West Africa, where he contracted the virus. He was working with the Doctors without Borders for about 5 weeks, feeling frustrated and desperate as he held children who couldn't fight the infection. He also mentioned those who had also survived the illness and welcomed him with open arms. In fact, some of them called when they learned Dr. Spencer developed the virus, asking him what they can do for him.
Dr. Spencer's release from the hospital also signifies another important landmark of the country on its fight against Ebola: there are no other reported cases, and except for the Thomas Eric Duncan, all those who were diagnosed in the United States lived.
The doctor left Guinea, one of the hardest-hit places in West Africa, on October 14 via Brussels. He stayed in Europe for a while, only departing for the United States on October 17. He arrived in New York on the same day. However, about 4 days after, he complained of exhaustion and fatigue with no fever or gastrointestinal symptoms. It was only two days after he reported some fever and was picked up by the city health department. He was treated in Bellevue Hospital, where he stayed for more than 15 days.
His case was controversial, though, since he visited many public places including a meatball shop and rode the subway train prior to the official diagnosis.