The hantavirus cruise ship outbreak spawned a familiar conspiracy theory: 'crisis actors' - Poynter

Social media users cast doubt about a hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship by claiming one passenger is a “crisis actor.” Posts focus on Jake Rosmarin, a Boston-based travel content creator quarantining at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Some posts suggest he was “handpicked” due to connections to healthcare and emergency preparedness, while others cite his earlier COVID-19 vaccination-related footage as proof the outbreak is staged. Additional posts share an image they claim shows him as a “Covid patient.” Rosmarin did not respond to inquiries about the claims, and there is no evidence that he is a crisis actor or involved in a plot. He said the reactions are not based on facts and that he was simply reacting to events.

"Social media users are casting doubt and causing confusion about the hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship, saying that one of the passengers is a "crisis actor." Their posts are focused on Jake Rosmarin, a Boston-based travel content creator who is now quarantining at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha."

""They're really working it with these crisis actors," said a May 6 X post that shared a video of an emotional Rosmarin describing his experience aboard the ship. Another X post said he "was certainly handpicked for this Honduis-Hanta-CryBaby role" because Rosmarin's related to people who work in healthcare and emergency preparedness."

"Even more posts said footage of Rosmarin urging people to get vaccinated during the COVID-19 pandemic is evidence his travel on the hantavirus cruise outbreak isn't a coincidence. One shared an image of what looks like a man in a hospital bed and said it was Rosmarin - a "much publicised 'Covid patient.'" "What are the chances that this guy is always where the current propaganda 'virus' is and always photographed or filmed as the victim?" the post said."

"We asked Rosmarin about these posts suggesting he's part of some concerted scheme and did not hear back. But there's no evidence that he's a crisis actor, or participating in a nefarious plot. Rosmarin told The Daily Beast that such claims aren't based on facts. "People are reacting just to react," he said."

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