Hantavirus countdown: U.S. cruise passengers settle in for 42 days of waiting

"More than a dozen American cruise passengers returned to the U.S. Monday and went straight to a quarantine facility at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Jake Rosmarin, a travel influencer from Boston, is one of them. He's been posting about his experience on Instagram. The first few days have been OK, he said. On Tuesday, nurses brought him his first iced coffee from Starbucks in over six weeks. "I'm literally in heaven," he said in a posted video, sipping on an iced horchata oat milk shaken espresso with vanilla cold foam. "This is everything I needed right now.""

"The Americans in Nebraska were among around 150 cruise passengers who spent weeks aboard the MV Hondius, a ship hit with a deadly hantavirus outbreak that has infected at least 11 people, including three who died, according to the World Health Organization. The people who were transported to Nebraska have been potentially exposed to the hantavirus, but they have no symptoms. On returning to the U.S., they started a 42-day quarantine period, starting May 11, where they are monitored daily, in case symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, fever and chills arise."

"U.S. health officials say it takes prolonged contact with someone who is showing symptoms to spread the virus. Minimizing contact with those who may have been exposed is meant to stop any unprotected interactions that could lead to the possible spread of hantavirus. For now they're in Nebraska's specialized medical facility. "They're being encouraged to stay," said Dr. David Fitter, incident manager for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's hantavirus response, in a press call this week. Passengers there are close to top medical care, and have staff looking after them, he pointed out."

More than a dozen American cruise passengers returned to the U.S. and were taken directly to a quarantine facility at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Jake Rosmarin, a Boston travel influencer, described early days as manageable and shared details of his room and routine. The passengers were among about 150 people who had spent weeks aboard the MV Hondius, which experienced a deadly hantavirus outbreak. At least 11 people were infected and three died, according to the World Health Organization. Those transported to Nebraska were potentially exposed but had no symptoms. They began a 42-day quarantine period starting May 11, with daily monitoring for fatigue, headaches, fever, and chills. U.S. health officials said prolonged contact with symptomatic individuals is needed for spread, so minimizing unprotected interactions is intended to prevent possible transmission.

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