An unnamed American physician (Patient X) who was working with the World Health Organization (WHO) in Sierra Leone, where he contracted Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), was declared free from Ebola virus and was released from Emory University Hospital on Sunday.

Ebola virus Image/CDC
Ebola virus
Image/CDC

He was the fourth Ebola patient transported to the United States and the 3rd patient to be treated at Emory.

In a statement from Emory today, the patient arrived on Sept. 9 stricken with EVD. He was discharged from the hospital on Oct. 19, 2014. In coordination with the CDC and Georgia Department of Public Health, the patient was determined to be free of virus and to pose no public health threat. The patient has asked to remain anonymous and left the hospital for an undisclosed location. He will make a statement at a later date. The patient was treated in the Serious Communicable Disease Unit in Emory University Hospital.

Last Wednesday, the unnamed physician patient released the following statement:

Given the national focus on Ebola, particularly with the diagnosis in two healthcare workers, I want to share the news that I am recovering from this disease, and that I anticipate being discharged very soon, free from the Ebola virus and able to return safely to my family and to my community.

As a result of the virus, my condition worsened and I became critically ill soon after I arrived at Emory. Through rigorous medical treatment, skillful nursing, and the full support of a healthcare team, I am well on the way to a full recovery. I want the public to know that although Ebola is a serious, complex disease, it is possible to recover and return to a healthy life. I wish to retain my anonymity for now, but I anticipate sharing more information in future weeks as I complete my recovery.

The 8 people who were Ebola Virus Disease patients in the United States of America include:

1. 33-year-old Samaritan’s Purse physician, Dr. Kent Brantly was the first Ebola patient to be treated in the United States. Brantly was infected with Ebola in Liberia and transported to Emory University Hospital on Aug. 2. Dr. Brantly was discharged on Aug. 21.

2. SIM USA missionary worker, Mrs Nancy Writebol, was transported to Emory University Hospital on Aug. 5 for treatment. She worked alongside Dr Brantly in Liberia. Mrs Writebol was discharged from the hospital on Aug. 19.

3. 51-year-old SIM USA physician, Dr. Rick Sacra arrived at the Nebraska Medical Center for Ebola treatment on Sept. 5 after contracting Ebola in Liberia. He was released on Sept. 25 after testing negative for the virus.

4. The fourth EVD case in the US was the unnamed WHO physician (Patient X) who arrived at Emory on Sept. 9 and was discharged on Oct. 19. He contracted the viral disease in Sierra Leone.

5. Liberian national, Thomas Eric Duncan, was admitted to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas on Sept. 28. He was confirmed positive for EVD on Sept. 30, the first person to test positive for the virus in the US. Unfortunately, on Oct. 8, Mr Duncan succumbed to the lethal virus becoming the first Ebola fatality on US soil.

6. NBC freelance cameraman, 33-year-old Ashoka Mukpo, contracted EVD in Liberia when on assignment with NBC News Chief Medical Editor and Correspondent Dr. Nancy Snyderman. Mr. Mukpo arrived at Nebraska Medical Center on Oct. 6 for treatment. He is currently hospitalized.

7. Four days after the death of Thomas Duncan, 26-year-old Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas nurse, Nina Pham, tested positive for EVD, becoming the first person to contract Ebola in the United States. She contracted EVD while treating Mr. Duncan. Ms Pham is currently being treated at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda.

8. On Oct. 15, a second Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas nurse, 29-year-old Amber Vinson, tested positive for Ebola, the second secondary case of EVD due to treating Mr. Duncan. Ms. Vinson is currently being treated at Emory University Hospital.

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