11/11/2014
By Ivan Pereira
Dr. Craig Spencer, the New York physician who was diagnosed with Ebola, was released from Bellevue Hospital on Tuesday.
Spencer, 33, of West Harlem, hugged Mayor Bill De Blasio and his wife Chirlane.
“It’s a good feeling to hug a hero,” the mayor said. “He stayed cool and stayed calm and kept his sense of humor.”
The doctor was cleared of the virus following 19 days of extensive treatment at Bellevue.
Spencer was put into isolation at Bellevue on Oct. 23 after reporting a 100.3 degree fever. He had recently returned from Guinea, where he worked with Doctors Without Borders.
Although he kept an eye on his health, he visited several places before displaying any symptoms, including The Meatball Shop in the Village and The Gutter bowling alley in Williamsburg.
His fiancée was also examined and placed under home quarantine in the couple’s West Harlem apartment. Two of Spencer’s friends who he was in contact with after his return were also shortly quarantined.
There have been no other confirmed cases of the virus in New York since Spencer’s hospitalization and both the state and city have beefed up their preparation to treat any patients who may experience symptoms.
