Craig Spencer was declared Ebola-free Tuesday, meaning the rest of New York City can breathe a sigh of relief. This doesn't mean the fight is over though.
His release signifies that the United States is also Ebola-free but Dr. Thomas Frieden, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director, stressed that the threat remains as long as the outbreak rages in West Africa. The virus has now infected more than 13,000, has claimed the lives of close to 5,000 individuals, and is not showing signs of stopping anytime soon.
Spencer tested positive for Ebola Oct. 23 after coming back from Guinea as a Doctors Without Border volunteer. In the weeks that followed, he received treatment at the Bellevue Hospital, which included a plasma transfusion from Nancy Writebol, another Ebola survivor, and doses of experimental drug Brincidofovir. Now that Spencer has a clean bill of health, the monitoring period for the medical staff who attended to his needs during his stay at Bellevue begins.
"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. 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," said Spencer.
He also called on public to make sure medical volunteers and other workers who came to the aid of those steeped in the outbreak in West Africa do not face threats and stigma upon returning home. Volunteers also need support to fight the Ebola outbreak at the source, he added.
New Yorkers were alarmed after learning that Spencer had ridden three subway lines, went to a bowling alley in Brooklyn, ate in a restaurant in Manhattan, and had a coffee nearby after returning from Guinea. As he was a doctor, many were shocked that he would be irresponsible enough to endanger millions by walking after being exposed to Ebola. What a lot of these people failed to realize is that a person is not contagious despite being infected with Ebola as long as they are not actively showing symptoms. When he did show symptoms, Spencer promptly called Bellevue and was admitted.
Spencer's fiancée Morgan Dixon, who shares an apartment with him, was also quarantined but has been released, with monitoring continuing until Friday. Spencer is expected to be back at work at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital Columbia soon.
