# Travel blogger whiles away quarantine with Omaha dining tour  
**Published:** 2026-06-11T10:00:00.000Z  
**Source:** [Flatwater Free Press](https://flatwaterfreepress.org/table-for-one-exposed-to-deadly-hantavirus-man-is-eating-his-way-through-quarantine/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/travel-blogger-whiles-away-quarantine-with-omaha-dining-tour

An Instagram-famous travel blogger from Boston spent his 42-day quarantine at Omaha's [University of Nebraska Medical Center](https://www.unmc.edu/newsroom/2026/05/10/nebraska-medicine-unmc-asked-to-monitor-u-s-citizens-from-cruise-ship-hantavirus-outbreak/) doing something far more appetizing than counting the hours: sampling Omaha's culinary scene from his quarantine room.

Jake Rosmarin was one of 18 American passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship repatriated to [the National Quarantine Unit at UNMC](https://flatwaterfreepress.org/table-for-one-exposed-to-deadly-hantavirus-man-is-eating-his-way-through-quarantine/) in May after potential exposure to [Andes virus, a rare strain of hantavirus](https://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/situation-summary/index.html). The World Health Organization identified Andes virus as rare, but capable of being transmitted from person to person.

The outbreak aboard the cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean proved deadly. The outbreak grew to 13 confirmed cases following identification of a new case in Spain among quarantined passengers, and three deaths have been associated with the outbreak. The National Quarantine Unit is the only federally funded quarantine unit in the United States, designed specifically to safely house and monitor people who may have been exposed to high-consequence infectious diseases.

Despite his predicament, Rosmarin found solace in Omaha's restaurants. Symptoms can take up to 42 days to appear, and Rosmarin channeled those days into what he would later call his "Nebraska nice" education. Over the weeks, he sampled Reuben egg rolls from Paddy McGown's, a burrito bowl from Bomb Taco, buffalo chicken pizza from Mama's, and the iconic Runza.

The Runza experience, arranged in part through [Gov. Jim Pillen's office](https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/news/news-articles/american-passengers-on-cruise-ship-with-hantavirus-outbreak-may-be-headed-to-omaha/), proved especially memorable. Rosmarin tried the barbecue bacon version along with frings and a prickly pear lemonade, later telling his followers, "I could mess with a Runza." Runza spokeswoman Becky Perrett said staff enjoyed following his social media posts. "We were honored to share a taste of Nebraska with those in quarantine," she said.

All 10 residents in quarantine at the time shared the meals with medical staff, and local businesses donated care packages filled with Nebraska goods. Rosmarin also passed the time crocheting, reading, watching movies and attempting diamond painting.

By early June, five former passengers had opted to leave UNMC and continue quarantining at home after meeting public health criteria, with ten still remaining in quarantine at UNMC. All exposed passengers were monitored for a 42-day period that ended on June 6, with no cases of hantavirus disease detected, and no further public health follow-up needed.

Rosmarin, who has never actually dined inside an Omaha restaurant, offered his gratitude to the community that fed him through his isolation. "I'm so grateful for all the businesses that have been kind to us here," he said. "I've really learned a lot about 'Nebraska nice' since being here. It's a real thing."

## Sources

- [Flatwater Free Press](https://flatwaterfreepress.org/table-for-one-exposed-to-deadly-hantavirus-man-is-eating-his-way-through-quarantine/)
- [UNMC Newsroom - Nebraska Medicine/UNMC asked to monitor U.S. citizens from cruise ship hantavirus outbreak](https://www.unmc.edu/newsroom/2026/05/10/nebraska-medicine-unmc-asked-to-monitor-u-s-citizens-from-cruise-ship-hantavirus-outbreak/)
- [CDC - Andes Virus Outbreak on a Cruise Ship: Current Situation](https://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/situation-summary/index.html)
- [Nebraska Public Media - American passengers on cruise ship with hantavirus outbreak headed to Omaha](https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/news/news-articles/american-passengers-on-cruise-ship-with-hantavirus-outbreak-may-be-headed-to-omaha/)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Flatwater Free Press, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://flatwaterfreepress.org/table-for-one-exposed-to-deadly-hantavirus-man-is-eating-his-way-through-quarantine/.