American speaks out from cruise ship amid deadly hantavirus outbreak
An American passenger aboard a luxury cruise ship at the center of a deadly suspected hantavirus outbreak is speaking out on social media about the ongoing situation. "There's a lot of uncertainty, and that's the hardest part," passenger Jake Rosmarin said in a video posted to Instagram from the MV Hondius. "All we want right now is to feel safe, to have clarity, and to get home." Oceanwide Expeditions, the cruise ship's Netherlands-based operator, said in its latest update on Monday that medical crews are working to evacuate sick passengers from the ship, which is currently anchored off Cape Verde. Rosmarin is one of 149 people onboard the ship, representing 23 different nationalities, Oceanwide Expeditions said in a press release . "What's happening right now is very real for all of us here. We're not just a story. We're not just headlines. People with families, with lives, with people waiting for us at home," Rosmarin said.
Scoop News DeskCape Verde, Michigan ยท Published Updated
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South African health officials said in a press release Monday that some passengers began experiencing "serious health complications arising from what was initially considered severe acute respiratory infections." The first two deaths were a married couple from the Netherlands, according to Oceanwide Expeditions. A third passenger, a British national, fell ill on April 24 and was medically evacuated to South Africa, where he remains hospitalized in an intensive care unit, WHO stated. The cruise line said disembarkation, medical evacuation or medical screening requires permission from and coordination with local and international health authorities.
