Angela Perryman trusted U.S. officials when they evacuated her and 17 other Americans from the MV Hondius cruise ship, which experienced a hantavirus outbreak. They ended up at the National Quarantine Unit in Nebraska. Officially, their stay was voluntary, but the reality felt quite different to Perryman.
She hoped to self-monitor for symptoms back in Florida. Instead, on May 18, she and another passenger received a legal order prohibiting them from leaving. “I’m angry. I feel betrayed,” she said. “This feels like imprisonment.”
Perryman knows the hantavirus is serious, with three shipmates having died from it. Yet, she questions why she can’t self-monitor at home like the others who had also returned. While the virus typically needs close contact to spread, she remains cautious.
“I’m fine with home quarantine. I want to comply with health guidelines,” she stated. “I just want to enjoy my yard, watch nature, and count down the days to confirm I didn’t catch the virus.”
This situation marks the first mandatory quarantine order from the federal government since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and one of only two in nearly fifty years. Public health experts suggest we might see more such measures in the future, especially with ongoing health threats like Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Lawrence Gostin, a public health law expert at Georgetown University, insists the CDC has a strong case for their actions, citing the clear risk posed by the virus.
However, some legal experts believe Perryman has a valid argument, suggesting her rights may be infringed upon without sufficient evidence of risk. James Hodge from Arizona State University pointed out that if there’s no clear threat, confining individuals could be seen as a violation of their liberties.
Perryman intends to fight her confinement, feeling that what happened to her could happen to anyone. Yet, she fears that her chances of release before her quarantine ends in ten days are slim.
For more on the hantavirus and public health measures, visit the CDC’s website.
