Health Secretary Orders Quarantine for Passenger
On June 16, it was reported that U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has mandated that a passenger exposed to hantavirus on a cruise ship must remain in quarantine, despite medical advice and her own wishes.
The individual, Angela Perryman, 47, was one of 18 Americans quarantined in the U.S. after cases of the Andes hantavirus were discovered aboard the cruise ship earlier this year. Initially, this group was placed in a quarantine unit in Nebraska.
A representative from the Department of Health and Human Services indicated that the 42-day monitoring period would conclude at midnight on June 21.
Attempts to contact Perryman at the facility via phone were unsuccessful.
The official noted that the remaining passengers in the quarantine unit would depart Nebraska on June 22, marking the end of their observation period, which began after their return to the U.S. on May 10.
Earlier this month, the University of Nebraska Medical Center stated that eight U.S. citizens from the hantavirus-affected MV Hondius had returned home after three weeks of monitoring, while ten others continued to be observed.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had initially requested that these individuals stay at the quarantine unit until May 31.
Quarantine Controversy
The New York Times mentioned that some passengers were permitted to quarantine at home until June 22, provided that local health authorities ensured monitoring through law enforcement or community health personnel.
According to WHO guidelines, high-risk contacts should be quarantined and monitored for 42 days after potential exposure.
Perryman expressed a desire to return to her home in Florida; however, the state declined to provide the necessary supervision, as reported by the Wall Street Journal and the Times.
The Times further noted that during a quarantine hearing, the CDC suggested she could go home for the remainder of the quarantine. Meanwhile, a CDC medical assessment indicated that the likelihood of her developing symptoms was diminishing over time.
Perryman recounted that she received a notice from Kennedy, slipped under her door, explaining that she could not return home.
The order from Kennedy specified that, despite the doctor’s evaluations, Perryman was believed to be at least potentially infected with or exposed to the virus.
Reporting by Sneha S K; editing by Caroline Humer and Joyjeet Das
