Story perspectives

CDC Sends Hantavirus Patient to Nebraska Biocontainment Unit

5/23/2026

Left

Jake Rosmarin Quarantined

Jake Rosmarin’s quarantine generated online empathy and harassment while his Instagram followers rose above 154,000.
CDC director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya ordered Jake Rosmarin’s six-week quarantine in Nebraska’s Biocontainment Unit for Andes hantavirus.
Nebraska Medicine’s Biocontainment Unit, built with federal support, recorded no infection during Ebola or COVID-19.
Unit staff complete four simulation trainings each year to maintain competence in high-consequence pathogen care.

Right

Perryman Challenges Quarantine

Angela Perryman, a 47-year-old American, is challenging a mandatory quarantine in Omaha despite a negative hantavirus test.
The order requires her to stay at the National Quarantine Unit until May 31.
CDC acting director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya signed the order, citing a 21-day high-risk incubation period.
The Omaha unit has 20 rooms with negative-pressure ventilation, en-suite bathrooms, exercise equipment and Wi-Fi.

History

Historical Context

The 2003 SARS epidemic, which infected over 8,000 people and killed 774 worldwide, prompted the CDC to issue new infection-control guidelines and expand isolation capacity. Building on that, Nebraska Medicine’s Biocontainment Unit, overseen by CDC acting director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, now imposes six-week quarantines for hantavirus cases, illustrating the lasting impact of SARS-era preparedness.

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Jake Rosmarin Quarantined

Jake Rosmarin’s quarantine generated online empathy and harassment while his Instagram followers rose above 154,000.
CDC director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya ordered Jake Rosmarin’s six-week quarantine in Nebraska’s Biocontainment Unit for Andes hantavirus.
Nebraska Medicine’s Biocontainment Unit, built with federal support, recorded no infection during Ebola or COVID-19.
Unit staff complete four simulation trainings each year to maintain competence in high-consequence pathogen care.

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