A U.S. Woman Who Traveled on the Westerdam Cruise Ship Does Not Have Coronavirus After All, CDC Says

An American woman feared to have potentially spread COVID-19 to other passengers aboard Holland America Line’s Westerdam cruise ship does not seem to have the novel coronavirus after all, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed. The false-positive is only the latest development in the Westerdam saga. After rumors spread that a passenger on board the Westerdam had coronavirus, the vessel was denied entry at ports in five different countries—even as the cruise line maintained that nobody on board was sick with COVID-19. Passengers celebrated when some were finally allowed to disembark in Cambodia in mid-February. The tone changed dramatically, however, when news spread that an 83-year-old American woman—whom the cruise line said showed no signs of illness while on board—had tested positive for COVID-19 in Malaysia after disembarking from the Westerdam. Her diagnosis stoked fears that other people who had been aboard the boat—many of whom disembarked in Cambodia and then continued on to other destinations—may have unknowingly acted as carriers for the virus, potentially contributing to its spread worldwide. After news broke, passengers still on the ship were told to stay on board, and those who got off but stayed in Cambodia were directed not to leave the country. Later testing on the American woman, however, came back negative for COVID-19. While the CDC has not tested the woman directly, a spokesperson confirmed...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 onetime Source Type: news