13 ‘high risk’ Americans quarantined at University of Nebraska Medical Center

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    OMAHA, NE (KPTM ) — There are now 13 Americans considered to be at “high risk” for developing the Novel Coronavirus staying in the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

This is the same area where a woman who showed extremely mild upper respiratory symptoms stayed over the weekend. She tested negative for Coronavirus twice and is now back at Camp Ashland.

Two Kalitta planes landed at Eppley Airfield Monday morning with the passengers on board.

They came from Japan where Americans had been in quarantine aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

At a news conference Monday afternoon, officials with the quarantine unit said they did not receive any written documentation as to which passengers tested positive for the virus or not, so they are re-testing each individual with tests from the Centers for Disease Control.

As of Monday afternoon, officials said only one man is being quarantined in the biocontainment unit.

They say he has a pre-existing chronic condition and was showing signs of a fever and small cough upon landing.

The other 12 patients are being isolated in specially engineered rooms in the quarantine area.

The first of two tests is expected to be returned early Monday afternoon.

UNMC officials say each person will stay in the quarantine area for at least 14 days.

If anyone does test positive, they say that would likely be extended.

“We really have an ideal venue for these people to come here for observation and care,” said Christopher Kratochvil, vice president of Research for Nebraska Medicine.

Monday morning two Kalitta planes touched down near the cargo area of Eppley. That’s about half a mile away from the main terminal.

Crews with hazmat suits on were walking out of the plane carrying cardboard boxes.

The planes landing at Eppley came just hours after planes carrying cruise ship passengers from Japan landed at military bases in California and Texas.

The U.S. said it arranged the evacuation because people on the Diamond Princess were at a high risk of exposure to the virus. For the departing Americans, the evacuation cuts short a 14-day quarantine that began aboard the cruise ship Feb. 5.

The State Department announced later that 14 of the evacuees received confirmed they had the virus but were allowed to board the flight because they did not have symptoms. They were being isolated separately from other passengers on the flight, the U.S. State and Health and Human Services said in a joint statement.

After arriving in the U.S., all of the passengers must go through another 14 days of quarantine at the military facilities — meaning they will have been under quarantine for a total of nearly four weeks.

Officials say there are couples amongst the isolated patients, but no families with children.

Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert issued this statement in response to the 13 Americans under observation at Nebraska Medicine:

“The 13 Americans now under federal quarantine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center Biocontainment Unit and National Quarantine Unit will receive the best medical care available if they test positive for COVID-19. UNMC is recognized worldwide for having the facilities, skilled staff and expertise to provide safe care for the patients and health care professionals and protect the Omaha community from the spread of disease. We welcome these fellow Americans to Omaha and wish everyone good health.”

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