分类： health

Kylie Rhamdas’ calling to nursing was not a late-in-life discovery—it took root when she was just five years old, clutching a plastic toy stethoscope and already imagining a future caring for others. By age 22, that childhood dream has become a reality: she just wrapped up her first full year as a Licensed Practical Nurse in the emergency department of Belize’s Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, a milestone that arrived just as 2026 Nurses Week, a national observance honoring frontline healthcare workers, drew to a close. Looking back on the winding path that brought her to this point, Rhamdas says she would tell her five-year-old self, “We did it.”

Growing up as a frequent hospital patient managing sickle cell disease only strengthened Rhamdas’ desire to work in healthcare. Those long stays gave her a front-row seat to the compassion and steady care nurses brought to patients in crisis, a memory that stayed with her for decades. “All my life when I was younger, I was always in the hospital,” she recalled. “I used to watch the nurses and think, I want to be a doctor or a nurse.”

The road to nursing was anything but straightforward. After finishing secondary school, Rhamdas did not enroll immediately in college. Instead, she honed her skills as a photographer while never letting go of her childhood dream. When she eventually enrolled in nursing school, she worked three part-time jobs to cover her costs, relying on income from photography to pay for transportation, meals, and school fees. It was a nursing scholarship that finally made her enrollment possible, after years of planning and saving.

Even with the scholarship, daily life as a student presented steep challenges. Nursing school was based in Belmopan, while Rhamdas made her home in Belize City—meaning she had to wake up at 4:30 every morning to catch a 6 a.m. bus, just to arrive on time for 8 a.m. classes. “Some days used to be really hard. I don’t know if I want to go to school today, but you have to push yourself,” she said. “If that’s something you like and that you really want, you have to push yourself and motivate yourself to continue.”

Now one year into her emergency department role, Rhamdas already has her next professional goals in sight: she plans to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing before pursuing specialized training in psychiatric care. What many patients do not see when they interact with her in the busy ER, however, is the full, layered life she carries beneath her scrubs. Beyond her reputation for arriving 30 minutes early to every shift, few know she manages her own chronic sickle cell pain through long, demanding shifts, that she worked her way through school as a professional photographer, or that as a new graduate nurse she prayed silently for a critically ill patient to pull through.

That patient survived after a 16-hour shift where Rhamdas never left her side. Later, the patient thanked her for her care—a small moment Rhamdas returns to again and again on days when she doubts her own work. “When I feel like I’m a bad nurse or I’m not doing as much as I want to do, I would think back to that moment,” she said.

This unspoken side of nursing is rarely discussed in public: the emotional weight that nurses carry home with them after hard shifts, the self-doubt that comes with working in a high-stakes environment, and the overwhelm that hits new nurses when classroom training cannot fully prepare them for the breakneck pace of an emergency department. Rhamdas openly shares that she cried through her first week in the ER, overwhelmed by self-doubt. “I was like, I don’t think I’m a good nurse. I don’t think I’m getting this. I feel like I’m too slow for this unit,” she recalled. “I used to cry about it, but I got over it. I continued to push myself.”

A common public misconception, Rhamdas notes, is that nurses are expected to be infallible—when in reality, they are human, just like the patients they care for. “People always expect us to not make mistakes. We’re prone to mistakes. We might not be able to answer all the questions that you have. But we try our best,” she said.

What carried Rhamdas through her early challenges was a determined mindset, the core childhood memories that reminded her why she chose the field, and a supportive team of colleagues who invested in her growth. That combination earned her the 2026 Adrenaline Ace Award at Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, an honor that recognizes exceptional performance in the emergency department. “I don’t think that I would have got that award if it weren’t for most of my co-workers there who strengthened me,” she said. “Whether it was teaching me a new skill, correcting me when I was wrong, or just teaching me something new every day.”

Outside of the hospital walls, Rhamdas still works as a photographer, scheduling photoshoots around her nursing shifts and prioritizing activities that help her manage workplace stress on her days off: traveling, listening to music, and relaxing by the ocean. “Anything to deal with the stress… Just find something that suits you and calms you,” she advised.

For anyone considering a career in nursing who feels unsure about taking the first step, Rhamdas has clear advice: “Go for it.” “The journey might not always be as easy as you think it is. But push through. And always think about the ending goal,” she said. “When you become a nurse, you might not feel appreciated at first. But you’re going to meet patients who remind you of why you’re a nurse.” She also emphasizes that it is never too late to pursue education: “Schooling has no age. I believe you can go back to school whenever you feel like.”

At its core, 2026 Nurses Week is about more than just honoring the work of nursing—it is a reminder that the person caring for you at your bedside is navigating a full, complicated, deeply human life of their own. For Rhamdas, that humanity is what makes the work worth it. “We’re always there to help,” she said. “We might not always be perfect. But we’re always there.”

As global health authorities investigate an international hantavirus outbreak tied to the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius that has caused multiple deaths, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has reaffirmed that the overall risk of transmission across the Caribbean region remains minimal, per official statements released on May 11, 2026.

During a press briefing held Monday, CARPHA Executive Director Dr. Lisa Indar outlined that the agency is collaborating closely with the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and multiple global health partners to track the outbreak and support ongoing international investigations. As of the May 11 reporting cutoff, health officials have documented eight confirmed and suspected hantavirus cases linked to the vessel, three of which have resulted in fatalities. Passengers and crew members aboard the MV Hondius hail from 28 different countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Philippines, and Netherlands. Multiple infected individuals have already been medically evacuated or repatriated to their home countries, and contact tracing efforts are currently being rolled out across affected nations.

The outbreak timeline traces back to April 1, 2026, when the cruise ship departed from Argentina. A cluster of unexplained severe respiratory illness was reported among people on board, prompting an official notification to the WHO on May 2. Further genetic testing has linked the outbreak to the Andes strain of hantavirus, the only documented hantavirus variant capable of person-to-person spread – though public health experts emphasize this transmission only occurs in rare circumstances, requiring close, prolonged contact between individuals.

Dr. Indar clarified key facts about hantavirus to dispel growing public concern: the pathogen is primarily a rodent-borne illness that is endemic to many regions across the globe, but the specific rodent species that carries the Andes strain is not native to any Caribbean territory. This absence of a local reservoir means there is no sustained source of community transmission within the Caribbean, a core factor driving the low-risk assessment.

Unlike widely circulating respiratory viruses such as COVID-19 and influenza, hantavirus does not transmit easily between humans, Dr. Indar added. “COVID-19 spreads easily between people. Hantavirus does not,” she stated, noting that the probability of large-scale community spread of the pathogen is extremely low. Currently, hantavirus has an incubation period ranging from one to six weeks, and no targeted antiviral treatment or widely approved vaccine exists for the infection. Clinical care for infected patients focuses on supportive interventions, including supplemental oxygen and close intensive care monitoring.

Immediately after receiving formal notification of the outbreak, CARPHA activated its regional public health surveillance infrastructure. Measures implemented include a regional alert issued on May 5, daily risk monitoring across all member states, and ongoing coordination with local health authorities throughout the Caribbean. Following a joint assessment with the WHO, CDC, and UK health authorities, CARPHA has confirmed that the risk to Caribbean populations remains unchanged at low.

To help residents protect themselves, CARPHA is urging the general public to maintain routine basic hand and food hygiene, avoid any contact with wild rodent populations, and only rely on official public health updates for accurate information about the outbreak.

As cases of mosquito-transmitted illnesses climb across the Caribbean region, public health organizations have launched a regional campaign urging residents to tackle mosquito breeding sites starting at home, warning that unaddressed standing water in residential backyards has become a key contributor to the growing public health threat.

From May 11 to 15, 2026, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), in partnership with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), is hosting Caribbean Mosquito Awareness Week. This year’s initiative carries the central theme: “Stop Disease Transmission, Start Source Reduction,” shifting focus from information sharing to collective community action.

Dr. Lisa Indar, Executive Director of CARPHA, emphasized that individual and community action is the foundation of effective mosquito control. “This observance is not just about sharing information; it is about encouraging action. It is about reminding each Caribbean citizen that mosquito control starts at home, in our schools, in our workplaces and in our communities,” Indar explained in her opening remarks for the campaign.

Public health officials are sounding the alarm over accelerating disease spread across the region. Once-controlled illnesses including dengue, malaria, yellow fever and chikungunya are seeing consistent increases in case counts. CARPHA has specifically flagged the reemergence of yellow fever and chikungunya in South America, noting that the viruses are spreading quickly and pose an immediate cross-border risk to the entire Caribbean basin.

Experts point to multiple interconnected factors driving the current surge, many of which originate in residential spaces. Stagnant water that accumulates in common backyard items, combined with inadequate regional waste management and shifting climate patterns that extend mosquito breeding seasons, have created near-perfect conditions for mosquito populations to explode in communities across the Caribbean. Standing water that collects in unmaintained containers, clogged gutters, and outdoor gardening supplies is one of the most common unaddressed breeding sites that allow mosquito populations to grow rapidly close to where people live and gather.

The campaign provides clear, actionable steps that every resident can take to reduce local mosquito populations and protect their households. Key recommendations include sealing all water storage drums and barrels, emptying or disposing of any outdoor containers that can catch rainwater, clearing debris from gutters on a regular schedule, and scrubbing vases and flower pot saucers weekly to remove mosquito eggs. Residents are also advised to use registered insect repellent and wear long, protective clothing when spending time outdoors, and to seek immediate medical care if they develop symptoms of illness after a mosquito bite.

Indar closed by reinforcing the core message of the week: small, consistent actions taken by individual households add up to large regional change. “Keep mosquitoes away; clean up today,” she urged, noting that collective commitment to source reduction is the most effective way to slow disease transmission and protect Caribbean communities.

A multi-state public health monitoring and quarantine operation is underway in the United States, after 18 passengers exposed to a hantavirus outbreak linked to an international cruise ship returned to American soil, according to updates from U.S. public health authorities. As of May 11, 2026, these passengers have been placed under targeted medical observation as officials work to stop further spread of the rare but dangerous pathogen and calm public anxiety over broader community transmission.

Sixteen of the 18 monitored individuals, which includes at least one person who has already tested positive for hantavirus, are being held at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, one of the nation’s leading facilities for treating and isolating emerging infectious diseases. The remaining two passengers have been transferred to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta for more in-depth clinical evaluation and specialized care.

Health officials confirmed that all 16 patients in Nebraska currently show no signs of hantavirus infection. However, at least one of the two patients receiving care in Atlanta is already exhibiting hallmark symptoms of the virus. Patients range widely in age, from people in their late 20s to those in their early 80s.

The outbreak is traced back to the expedition cruise vessel MV Hondius, with the first cases emerging shortly after the ship began its voyage in mid-April 2026. To date, three passengers connected to the outbreak have died, and multiple other people who were aboard the vessel have developed confirmed or suspected infections. The World Health Organization has noted that while hantavirus is most commonly transmitted to humans from rodent excrement, the crowded enclosed environment of the cruise ship may have allowed for limited person-to-person spread of the Andes strain of the virus involved in this outbreak.

U.S. health leaders have moved quickly to address widespread public concern over the outbreak, emphasizing repeatedly that the overall risk of hantavirus transmission to the general American public remains extremely low. Dr. Brian Christine, a senior official with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, emphasized the low risk in a public statement, noting that the Andes strain requires extended, close intimate contact with an infected symptomatic person to spread between people. Casual contact in public spaces does not pose a meaningful transmission risk, he explained.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that all U.S.-based passengers who returned home from the MV Hondius are under daily active monitoring by state and local public health departments. Officials have also prepped protocols to immediately isolate any individual who develops hantavirus symptoms while completing their monitoring period at home, to prevent secondary spread.

Beyond the 18 passengers placed in dedicated medical facilities, an additional nine people across six U.S. states are also undergoing routine monitoring after potential exposure to the virus through their connection to the outbreak, CNN reported. Public health agencies have not released further details about the identities of the exposed individuals to protect patient privacy.

Hantavirus infections, while rare, can cause severe respiratory and systemic illness with a relatively high mortality rate, which has prompted the proactive, precautionary response from global and U.S. health authorities in this outbreak.