The Ebola survivor who spent 19 days in isolation at Bellevue Hospital is criticizing the government and media response to his diagnosis.

Dr. Craig Spencer tested positive for the virus back in October after returning to the city from Africa.

Before he developed symptoms, he rode the subway, ate at some restaurants, and went bowling in Brooklyn.

His actions raised some concern about public safety.

But in an essay for the New England Journal of Medicine, Spencer says the media contributed to the panic by focusing too much on his personal life, instead of the facts about how Ebola spreads.

He also says a 21 day quarantine implemented by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on people who came in contact with Ebola may have kept sick people from seeking treatment.

Spencer writes, "I know how real the fear of Ebola is, but we need to overcome it. We all lose when we allow irrational fear, fueled in part by prime-time ratings and political expediency, to supersede pragmatic public health preparedness."