The United States of America is now free of all known Ebola cases. Dr. Craig Spencer, who was infected with the virus while treating patients in Guinea, is cured of the Ebola virus and was released yesterday Nov. 11.

Spencer, 33, was working with the humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders in Guinea when he got infected with the infectious virus.

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The doctor was released from Bellevue Hospital in New York City where he was treated for almost three weeks and was greeted with hugs and congratulations by the people waiting for him at the hospital lobby.

Spencer said, "Today I am healthy and no longer infectious," in a news conference the same day of his release.

Together with Spencer was Mayor Bill de Blasio who embraced Spencer and proudly stated "Dr. Spencer is Ebola-free, and New York City is Ebola-free." He also added that it was good to have a hero in their midst. 

Unlike in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, the public health measure they have taken to ensure that Ebola did not spread in New York has worked, as stressed by Spencer, the Mayor and others.

"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 stated. "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."

The 21-day monitoring period is almost over for Spencer's contacts. His fiancée will remain in quarantine until Friday, and to be certain that none of them develops an infection, two of his friends and around 100 medical staff that cared for Spencer will also be monitored. 

TagsNews, U.S. news, Health news, World News, Ebola Virus