"There’s still some uncertainty, but it’s reassuring to know there is a plan in place," travel influencer Jake Rosmarin said in an Instagram Reel
Credit: AFP via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- A hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship is suspected to have resulted in multiple deaths
- Passengers remain quarantined on the ship as health officials investigate and provide care to those affected
- Travel influencer Jake Rosmarin shared updates on social media, saying, “The priority is making sure those who are sick receive the care they need”
A passenger on the Oceanwide Expeditions MV Hondius ship is sharing his experience as the deadly hantavirus emerged during the trip.
Travel influencer Jake Rosmarin posted an Instagram Reel on Monday, May 4, clarifying what's occurred on the cruise ship since the hantavirus outbreak. Hantavirus is a severe and potentially deadly infectious disease that's normally spread through contact with rodents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed on Sunday, May 3, that multiple people aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean have died of suspected hantavirus infections. Three of the six people who were ill have died, and one person is in intensive care in South Africa, the agency said. As a result, the ship's passengers are not allowed to leave the vessel, as medical personnel investigate the situation on the luxury liner.
Rosmarin emphasized how the ship's passengers are processing the news. He acknowledged that his May 4 video is not his usual content, but he felt it was important to speak out and share: "What's happening right now is very real for all of us here."
"We're not just a story, we're not just headlines, we're people, people with families, with lives, with people waiting for us at home," he said. "There's a lot of uncertainty, and that's the hardest part."
"All we want right now is to feel safe, to have clarity and to get home," he continued.
Credit: AFP via Getty
"Just remember that there are real people behind it, and that this isn't something happening somewhere, far away. It's happening to us right now," Rosmarin said.
As he concluded his video, he simply said, "I just ask for your kindness and understanding. Thank you."
PEOPLE reached out to Rosmarin for comment.
He posted a second Instagram Reel, explaining in the caption that the first video was not intended to "worry anyone" and that everyone onboard "is doing okay," focusing on staying "safe and informed."
"Right now, the priority is making sure those who are sick receive the care they need, as well as getting to a place where we can safely disembark and access medical support," he wrote in the caption. "I also want to recognize that Oceanwide Expeditions and the entire crew have been handling a very difficult situation with care, and I'm really grateful for everything they're doing."
"There's still some uncertainty, but it's reassuring to know there is a plan in place, and I hope to be able to share more updates soon," he wrote. "Thank you all so much for the love and support, it truly means more than I can put into words ❤️. For now, just taking things one step at a time, we will be okay."
Rosmarin's statement came the same day the MV Hondius was given permission to dock at Praia Port in Cape Verde, so health officials could board the ship, per Reuters, which reports that the sickened passengers are being medically evacuated. Other passengers and staff aboard have not been permitted to disembark, NBC News reports.
At the time of publication, Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed that there are two crew members, a British and a Dutch national, aboard the ship who "require urgent medical care" for their "acute respiratory symptoms, one mild and one severe." Currently, no other occupants have shown symptoms.
Credit: AFP via Getty
The outbreak began after a Dutch man died on April 11, after he boarded. His remains were removed on April 24 at St. Helena port. His wife, who at this time had begun to feel sick, disembarked the ship. Three days later, the cruise line was informed that she had also died. The cruise operator did not confirm if their deaths "are connected to the current medical situation on board."
That same day, April 27, a British national became "seriously ill" and was medically evacuated to South Africa. That passenger remains hospitalized in the ICU in Johannesburg in critical but stable condition. Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed, "A variant of hantavirus has been identified in this patient."
Shortly after, on May 2, a German national died aboard the ship. The cruise line has not shared the person's cause of death.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Hantavirus is typically spread through contact with deer mice, cotton rats, rice rats, and white-footed mice, according to the CDC. The virus is generally transmitted to humans when they are bitten or come into contact with an infected rodent's urine, droppings or saliva.
Symptoms include fever, fatigue and muscle aches — particularly in the thighs, hips, back and shoulders — along with coughing and shortness of breath. Patients may also experience chest tightness as fluid builds up in the lungs. Symptoms typically appear one to eight weeks after contact with the infected rodent.
The news of the outbreak comes a year after Betsy Arakawa, the wife of late actor Gene Hackman, died after contracting the virus.
Read the full article here
