Florida health officials are pushing back at quarantine guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for passengers from the cruise ship MV Hondius exposed to the deadly Andes hantavirus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One American who was on the cruise ship says she\u2019s stuck in the middle and unable to leave federal quarantine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m being held hostage in this power struggle between a state and the federal government,\u201d said Angela Perryman, 47, who has been at the University of Nebraska Medical Center\u2019s National Quarantine Unit since May 11.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think there has been a day since I\u2019ve been here that I didn\u2019t cry,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perryman said that health officials previously told passengers that they would be able to leave federal quarantine by the end of May and spend the rest of their 42-day quarantine under home supervision. The first five went home June 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like all Americans aboard the cruise ship, Perryman has tested negative for the Andes virus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
States were required by the CDC to station law enforcement or public health employees outside the homes of quarantined passengers for surveillance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was up to state health departments to figure out how to accomplish that for passengers who chose to go home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Florida health officials, it appears, have a different approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAt this time, neither the state of Florida nor the Department is planning to implement round-the-clock surveillance measures,\u201d Brian Wright, a spokesman for the Florida Health Department, said in an email. \u201cThe state does not believe unnecessarily intrusive restrictions are warranted when established public health practices can effectively protect both public health and personal freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The agency, which didn\u2019t provide an official response, has named Dr. David Fitter to lead its response under the temporary leadership of Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who has criticized the CDC\u2019s restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perryman, a Florida native, is one of 18 Americans who were on the Hondius when the rare hantavirus outbreak struck in May. They were taken to the Nebraska unit, where some of the first Covid patients who\u2019d been aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship in early 2020, as well as several Ebola patients in 2014, were treated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As of Thursday, 10 of the Hondius passengers have left the federal facility and are now under surveillance in their home states, until the end of the virus\u2019s full 42-day quarantine period, set to end June 22, a University of Nebraska Medical Center spokesperson confirmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The passengers\u2019 trips home were coordinated by the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, as well as local and state health departments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe individuals did not travel commercially, and appropriate biocontainment measures were in place during their transport,\u201d the medical center said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eight passengers, including Perryman, remain in Nebraska. The only other passenger still in Nebraska who has spoken publicly about the ordeal is Jake Rosmarin, who\u2019s posted about his time in quarantine on Instagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Generally, the virus is spread from rodents to people. The Andes strain is the only one known to spread from person to person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The World Health Organization confirmed 13 cases of Andes virus associated with the cruise ship, and three people have died. None of the Americans have developed symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That fatality rate \u2014 23% \u2014 is one of the reasons health officials have been particularly focused on keeping any potential for viral spread contained. And the incubation period is exceptionally long. It can take up to six weeks for symptoms of hantavirus to appear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perryman said that all she wants to do is walk into her yard and take photos of birds and bugs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI want to go home,\u201d she said, \u201cand stay in my house and have no contact with anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n