Nebraska Doctors Safely Quarantine 18 Cruise Ship Passengers

When hantavirus exposed 18 American cruise passengers in the Canary Islands, most people would panic. Dr. David Brett-Major saw it as just another day saving lives.

The infectious disease expert at the University of Nebraska Medical Center helped coordinate an extraordinary medical mission. His team flew the exposed passengers from Tenerife, Spain to Nebraska in a modified Boeing 747 equipped with a 23,000-pound flying intensive care unit.

Brett-Major is a world-renowned expert in quarantine and isolation who previously treated Ebola patients in sub-Saharan Africa. He also studied the novel coronavirus in February 2020 at the beginning of COVID-19, working in the same National Quarantine Center where the cruise passengers would stay.

The specialized aircraft had its interior stripped and reconfigured with movable seats on metal tracks. At the front, a mini-ICU container held four hospital beds with full monitoring equipment. Phoenix Air Group provided additional medical support during the international flight.

The Ripple Effect

Brett-Major's calm confidence spreads to everyone around him. During an interview just three feet apart, he joked that if the virus were truly dangerous, neither of them would be standing so close.

His team wore different protective equipment based on their roles. Brett-Major used gowns, double gloves, N95 masks and face shields for coaching duties. The Phoenix team working longer shifts wore full hoods, coveralls and personal respirators.

But his greatest concern wasn't the virus itself. He focused on the mental health of people facing 42 days of quarantine, nearly six weeks isolated from normal life.

Dr. Craig Spencer, who survived Ebola in 2014, understands that challenge. He spent 19 days in isolation at Bellevue Hospital, less than half the time these passengers would need. He emphasizes how difficult extended quarantine is for mental and physical wellbeing.

The careful flight had "no unmanaged surprises." Brett-Major's team designed the space so passengers could interact with medical staff without feeling too isolated while keeping everyone safe.

All 18 passengers arrived healthy at the National Quarantine Center in Nebraska. Doctors like Brett-Major prove that when rare diseases emerge, America has specialized heroes ready to bring people home safely.

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