The U.S. government is ready to let American passengers exposed to a rare strain of hantavirus return home as soon as Monday, assuming their respective states provide a monitor outside their residences 24/7 for the remaining three weeks of their six-week quarantine.
According to two passengers quarantined in Nebraska, this monitor could be a police officer or a public health worker. They participated in a video call with government officials to discuss how they could return home.
These passengers were among 18 Americans aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship, which traveled to some remote South Atlantic islands this spring. During the voyage, some passengers fell severely ill, with two fatalities occurring before the illness was identified as the Andes strain of hantavirus, which is transmissible between people.
Reports indicate there are 13 confirmed cases linked to the virus from this ship, including three deaths. Symptoms can take up to six weeks to appear, prompting the World Health Organization to recommend that passengers stay quarantined for 42 days after returning to their countries.
The 18 individuals disembarked on May 10 in the Canary Islands and have been under quarantine at the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Initially, it was suggested that they could complete their quarantines at home. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had even issued guidelines for states to monitor these passengers, advising health departments to conduct in-person checks twice daily. However, some experts criticized this approach as excessive, noting that monitoring chronic illnesses like tuberculosis is typically done with less invasive methods like phone calls.
At least two passengers wanted to complete their quarantines at home but received federal orders requiring them to stay at the unit until May 31. Others chose to remain at the facility for the entire 42 days.
The unusual stipulation of having a monitor outside their homes for the last half of the quarantine has led some states, such as New York, to hesitate allowing passengers to return, according to passengers on the call with CDC officials.
On that call, officials mentioned that New York is the only state currently denying passengers the chance to finish their quarantines at home.
One unnamed passenger voiced frustration, stating, “This is not acceptable. We’re not criminals. If there’s no good reason to think we won’t comply, then we should be treated with respect.”
The New York State Department of Health and Governor Kathy Hochul’s office did not respond to requests for comments. Discussions about the decision are still ongoing, and the passengers are hopeful for a reconsideration.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services stated, “Throughout the response to the hantavirus outbreak, the CDC’s priority has been the health and safety of returned passengers and American communities.” They emphasized ongoing collaboration with passengers and local health departments regarding their 42-day monitoring period.
During the video call, passengers inquired about the origin of the new monitoring order. Dr. David Fitter and Dr. Denis Fitzgerald, both CDC officials, clarified that the decision originated from a level higher than the CDC director.
Another unnamed CDC official revealed that these decisions are being made at the “highest levels” of the federal government.
Recently, an official from the Trump administration confirmed that the U.S. has received approval to establish quarantine units in Kenya for Americans who may have been exposed to Ebola, diverging from previous practices of returning them to the U.S. for treatment.
“We cannot allow any cases of Ebola into the United States,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated during a Cabinet meeting.
This new approach contrasts sharply with how previous administrations managed the repatriation of Americans exposed to infectious diseases.
During the last significant Ebola outbreak in 2014, two American healthcare workers exposed in Liberia were flown to Emory University for treatment and both eventually recovered.
Another public health official expressed concern over the federal government’s actions, describing them as “very odd” and indicating fear may be driving these decisions, especially with midterm elections approaching.
There’s also a worry that having a full-time guard outside someone’s home could incite unnecessary fear in the community. Notably, the Andes hantavirus appears to be most contagious just before symptoms develop, and the monitored Americans currently show no signs of illness.
“The public risk is extremely low,” the official remarked. “This seems unnecessary.”
Efforts to work with the cruise passengers continue as states seek sensible solutions for the remaining quarantine time.
“We want these passengers to resume their normal lives. They’ve been through a lot,” another official stated.
During the call, passengers asked whether others who disembarked the ship before the outbreak was identified would also face the same monitoring. They learned that those passengers wouldn’t be subjected to such scrutiny.
“That seems totally irrational,” one passenger commented. “We’d like at least equal treatment.”
