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The hantavirus panic appears to be abating, in large part, due to containment after the Andes virus subvariant of hantavirus claimed the lives of three individuals onboard the MV Hondius cruise ship. Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported there were a total of 11 cases (8 confirmed, 2 probable, 1 inconclusive) all stemming from the Dutch cruise ship.
One thing that makes this a particularly nasty virus is the lengthy incubation time of anywhere from 1 to 8 weeks. The typical incubation time before a person afflicted with hantavirus is 2-3 weeks but it can take up to 8, which means quarantine is necessary for individuals who came in close contact with the confirmed cases aboard the cruise ship.
One of those individuals in quarantine is American traveler Jake Rosmarin. He is currently at the National Quarantine Unit at University of Nebraska Medical Center after Andean Hantavirus exposure. And while in quarantine, he has been sharing videos of his quarantine unit.
American Exposed To Hantavirus Shares Videos Of Quarantine Unit In Nebraska
In a @Threads post with over 300K views in the past 12 hours, Jake Rosmarin shared a series of pictures and videos from his quarantine unit. He wrote “Week 1 in quarantine ✅❤️ I just made it through my first week of quarantine here at the National Quarantine Unit at University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, and for the first time in a while I can honestly say I feel at peace with my situation. I’ve done a lot of reflecting over these last two week.”
In that post, we can see his large bed, desk, luxurious bathroom, stationary exercise bike, TV, recliner chair, and hand-written letters from hospital staff to keep him sane as he has no contact with the outside world.
Over on Instagram, Jake shared a slideshow (below) of his accommodations with a much longer caption. Scroll through the clips of his Week 1 in hantavirus quarantine with the full caption below:
In addition to the caption on Threads, he wrote “It’s honestly crazy to look back and see how far I’ve come in just a week. This photo series really captures that for me. From where I am now with my almost fully set up room complete with my tea & coffee corner, new bedding, pillows, blankets, photos on the walls, and all the little comforts that have helped make this place feel more like home… To the small joys that carried me through the week like finally getting on the stationary bike, getting my first Starbucks delivery, opening thoughtful packages from family and friends, and ending nights with tea and sweet treats.”
Jake added “There are also photos from my arrival when the room felt much more like a hospital room than anything else… although I’ll never forget walking in and seeing the two beautiful welcome notes waiting for us. And finally, the last photos take me back to exactly one week ago getting off the ship. Having a plan in place, but still being scared. Boarding a plane that honestly felt like something straight out of a movie. It all somehow already feels like a lifetime ago.”
He has also been sharing multiple videos of his hantavirus qurantine quarters in Nebraska. Here’s one of his room tours from the past few days:
It is impossible to imagine what he and the others in hantavirus quarantine have been going through the past few days. I cannot recall a time when someone in his situation shared firsthand videos of their experience like this. Social media truly is wild.