Dr. Steven Kornfeld, an oncologist from Bend, Oregon, has finally returned home after several weeks at the federal quarantine facility in Omaha, Nebraska. He says he feels “phenomenally well” and is now completing the remainder of his 42-day quarantine at home under round-the-clock monitoring. Bend — a popular resort town in central Oregon known for its mountains, forests and outdoor activities — is local news for Pacific Northwest residents, since Oregon is in the same geographic and media market as Washington state.
Kornfeld found himself at the center of a deadly international hantavirus outbreak when he became the only doctor on board the cruise ship MV Hondius after the ship’s regular physician fell ill. The rare outbreak killed three passengers, and Kornfeld, who had originally been a passenger, assumed medical responsibilities in the crisis. The Hondius itinerary was Antarctic: it ran down the coast of South America and on to Antarctica, requiring a crossing of the Drake Passage, unlike cruises out of Seattle that primarily head to Alaska and travel through inland channels and glaciers.
The outbreak was caused by the Andes strain of hantavirus, which is found in South America and, unlike the strain seen in the U.S., can be transmitted from person to person. That factor complicated the situation and required strict isolation measures for everyone who had contact with the sick. For Pacific Northwest residents hantavirus is rare but dangerous, because the region is home to many deer mice — the primary carriers of the Sin Nombre virus. Unlike the Andes strain, Sin Nombre does not spread from person to person, which greatly reduces the risk of an epidemic; nevertheless, most cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in the U.S. are recorded in this region.
The 69-year-old oncologist said he had originally set out on a six-week bird-watching trip but instead encountered a medical emergency thousands of miles from shore. “I’m not an intensivist or an infectious-disease specialist, but as an oncologist I’m used to taking care of very sick people,” Kornfeld explained.
He also endured a false alarm: an initial test taken on the ship suggested possible hantavirus infection, prompting his transfer to Omaha — the only CDC specialized quarantine facility in the U.S. for isolating people who had contact with highly dangerous infections. Subsequent tests, however, were negative, and physicians concluded the initial result was a false positive.
Kornfeld spent three weeks at the federal quarantine facility in Omaha under conditions he compared to prison. “It wasn’t a prison, but you felt like a prisoner,” he said, noting that basic items like cleaning supplies sometimes took days to arrive and that meals were often cold.
After lengthy negotiations with federal authorities, the doctor returned to Bend, where he is now under home quarantine. His wife lives on a different floor; they wear N95 masks even during chance encounters and dine outdoors at a great distance from each other. “I can eat when I want and sleep in my own bed — it’s heaven and earth compared with the facility,” he said.
Kornfeld praised the efforts of local Oregon authorities, who he said “worked tirelessly to meet federal requirements and bring me home.” At the same time he criticized changing and inconsistent federal rules that caused confusion and frustration.
Because of the quarantine, Kornfeld had to cancel all his travel, including trips to Mongolia and Borneo. He has also been temporarily deprived of bike rides, hikes and dinners with friends — a major change for an outdoor enthusiast and bird-watcher.
Despite the difficulties, the doctor is optimistic. “I miss all that, but compared with being stuck in Nebraska, where I had no control, this is just great. I’m just happy to be home,” he concluded, emphasizing that the most important thing is health and the ability to be with family.
Based on: Bend doctor returns home to finish quarantine after hantavirus outbreak