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Gorham woman stranded in Cambodia because of coronavirus fear, back home

"I was an anxious wreck for days," Opal Staudenmaier of Gorham said.

GORHAM, Maine — Opal Staudenmaier is back home in Maine after being stuck in Cambodia because of the coronavirus.

"I was an anxious wreck for days," Staudenmaier said.

Last month, Staudenmaier set sail on Holland America's Westerdam ship for a 28-day cruise to places like Hong Kong and Singapore.

"We were supposed to see the Philippines and Japan," Staudenmaier said.

But the ship couldn't dock at those places due to the fear of the coronavirus. Staudenmaier was trapped.

"I had to make some phone calls, change my return flight," she said.

She came down with a fever herself and had to stay in her room even though she tested negative for the virus and the flu.

"You have this thing going around and you start to cough. What's going on? Is this it or not? I haven't had a temp since the first day," Staudenmaier said.

After days of uncertainty, she finally made it back to the United States earlier this week. She was tested at the airport in Virginia.

"They took my temperature and asked my travel history and have me some instructions for self-monitoring," she said. 

She said she feels better knowing no one on her ship had the virus but is disappointed her trip turned out to not be what she expected.

Staudenmaier has been in contact with the Maine CDC since she's been home and continues to take her temperature every day.

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