42 days in isolation: Boston man reveals life inside hantavirus quarantine

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:00]I'm Boston 25's Amal Hal on scene in Boston after speaking with a local man who got caught up in the international haunt virus outbreak. That man is now spending week two in quarantine in a specialized medical facility in Nebraska.

[00:00:14]>> I am currently on board the MV Hondas.

[00:00:17]>> What started as a trip of a lifetime turned into weeks of uncertainty for Jake Rose Marin. The travel content creator from Boston was aboard the MV Hondius expedition ship when health officials identified an outbreak of the Andes strain of haunt virus, a rare virus linked to several deaths connected to the voyage.

[00:00:36]>> What's happening right now is very real for all of us here.

[00:00:39]>> Now, Rose Maron is spending 42 days in quarantine at the University of Nebraska Medical Cent's National Quarantine Unit, a specialized facility designed for monitoring exposure to dangerous infectious diseases. Everyone's room is set up the same except for, you know, we've all been decorating and stuff.

[00:00:56]Now, if I'm going to be here for the next now 35 days, 42 days total, I want to be comfortable.

[00:01:02]>> The 29-year-old says while he hasn't tested positive and is not showing symptoms, the situation quickly became frightening once passengers learned people on board had become seriously ill.

[00:01:12]>> For me specifically, it was a scary situation.

[00:01:15]>> Rosemary says staff at the facility check temperatures and symptoms daily while passengers remain isolated inside.

[00:01:21]at individual rooms.

[00:01:23]>> Here's my thermometer for temperature tech checks during the day.

[00:01:27]>> They are hoping to give us the option to get tested at least once a week. That'll just bring me a lot of comfort being knowing that I can get that test weekly.

[00:01:36]>> He's been documenting the experience online, trying to stay active and positive while counting down the remaining days in quarantine.

[00:01:43]>> Good morning from day five of my quarantine.

[00:01:46]>> I'm just trying to make myself as busy as possible to get me through these next few weeks. Rose Maron says despite the difficult circumstances, he's grateful for the care he's receiving, but still he says he can't wait to get home.

[00:01:58]>> Giving my fiance and my family and friends those first hugs, that first hug is going to feel like the best thing in the whole world.

[00:02:07]>> Federal health officials say the overall risk to the public remains low, adding that the Andes strain is far less contagious than other viruses like CO 19. Unseen in Boston. Amal Hal for your local station, Boston 25 News.