OMAHA — Jake Rosmarin, a 29-year-old photographer and content creator, is among 15 American passengers from the cruise ship MV Hondius being held at the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha after potential hantavirus exposure. The group arrived Monday morning and expects to remain at the facility for 40 days.

Three passengers aboard the MV Hondius died of hantavirus. The ship searched for a port that would accept it while carrying seriously ill travelers and quarantined passengers. The captain informed passengers of a hantavirus case less than 24 hours before they were scheduled to disembark.

Two American passengers were sent to Emory University in Atlanta for isolation. Dr. Stephen Kornfeld, who helped manage the medical crisis on board, tested positive for hantavirus and is isolating at a biocontainment unit in Omaha. The National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center is the only federally funded quarantine unit in the U.S.

Rosmarin had planned to return to Boston to his fiance after a 35-day cruise. His quarantine room contains a phone, an exercise bike, a bed, drawers, a bathroom, chairs, a desk, and a television. A nurse wearing protective gear knocks on his door twice a day to remind him to take and report his temperature, which has been normal so far. Staff wear enhanced protective masks and shields, but not full hazmat suits, when delivering food and blankets. On Tuesday, staff entered his room to draw blood wearing additional protective gear and changed gear between rooms. He had not received his Tuesday test results by Wednesday morning.

Quarantined passengers order food each night from a numbered menu for the following day. On Wednesday, Rosmarin made an egg sandwich for breakfast. He has also been ordering items to make his stay more comfortable. "I'm expecting some packages today and tomorrow, and hopefully I can start making it feel a little more like home," he said. "I'm expecting a mattress pad for my bed and new pillows and things like that."

Rosmarin has been posting social media updates since the early days of the outbreak. He said his posts have been more subdued since arriving in Omaha and that sharing his experience helps his mental health. He said responses to his posts have ranged from hate and disbelief to love and support, and that some critics became supportive after he continued posting. "I think there's people who just want to show hate, and the hate isn't supported by anything factual," he said.