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Free of Ebola, NBC cameraman released from the hospital

A little more than two weeks after arriving at Nebraska Medicine-Nebraska Medical Center for treatment, Ashoka Mukpo is out of the hospital.

Mukpo, a 33-year-old cameraman for NBC News, was released from Nebraska Med’s biocontainment unit Wednesday morning. He arrived October sixth after contracting Ebola in Liberia, and was the second patient to be treated at NMC for Ebola.

Biocontainment unit director Dr. Phil Smith says a team of about 60 treated Mukpo.

"There’s no greater reward than to take a patient with a critically ill, serious medical illness and make them better, and that’s what we’ve done here. But to do this with a highly dangerous, highly contagious disease, protect the staff, and protect the patient, and accomplish that, is extremely rewarding."

Mukpo was treated with an experimental drug, supportive care, and a blood transfusion from another Ebola survivor, Dr. Kent Brantly. Dr. Smith says after Mukpo fully recovers, he too could donate blood to other Ebola patients.

In a statement released by NMC, Mukpo called it a “joyful day” and says he feels “profoundly blessed.”