Lisa Duffy thought the cigarette smoke in the casino of the Norwegian Breakaway cruise ship was responsible for the nagging cough she developed late in her trip to the Caribbean.

When the ship docked March 14 in Port Canaveral, Fla., she felt great, with none of the fatigue she usually has after enjoying a cruise with her husband, Michael.

That changed quickly, while she was waiting for her husband to pick up their rental car. All of a sudden she was exhausted, aching and sweating.

“I just felt like I got hit by a truck,” said Duffy, 51.

She immediately suspected it was coronavirus.

“I just knew, it was everything they said,” she said.

A few days later, back home in Western Pennsylvania, a doctor confirmed her fears. Lisa and Michael Duffy, 53, are two of Westmoreland County’s first coronavirus patients.

The state Department of Health on Monday confirmed six cases of covid-19 in Westmoreland, though county officials told the Tribune-Review that eight cases have been confirmed.

Allegheny County now has 48 confirmed cases, including six people who are hospitalized.

Statewide, there are 644 positive coronavirus cases as of Monday.

State and county health officials do not share details about patient identities.

Lisa Duffy is the director of Cross Your Paws Animal Rescue. Michael Duffy owns Advance Gas Engine Solutions.

Neither was hospitalized. They’re self-quarantined in their Hempfield home, after having driven home from Florida instead of flying as planned.

Lisa Duffy slept the entire 16-hour drive home.

Michael Duffy got a fever and cough on the night of March 15, but the worst of it passed quickly. His symptoms were much less severe than his wife’s. “It’s been a lot worse in my life,” he said. “For me, I got a fever, I got the coughs, and it lasted like a day. I’m still sore and I’m not 100% by any means, but I’m probably like 85%.”

Lisa Duffy said it was the sickest she’s ever been. She spent much of the week lying at home, watching endless news reports about the pandemic.

“Sitting here watching the news, it’s just like, I’m going to die,” she said.

She feels much better now, although she can’t take a deep breath and still coughs frequently.

Lisa Duffy visited her doctor on March 16, where she tested negative for the flu and strep throat, but didn’t get tested for coronavirus, she said. Two days later, on Wednesday, she went to a mobile coronavirus testing facility in Pittsburgh, and received a positive test result on Friday.

Michael Duffy went to the same testing facility Friday after his wife got her results. His positive result was verified Saturday.

The Duffys’ cruise shipped out March 7. Three days into its 14-day voyage, a female passenger aboard Norwegian Breakaway became ill and checked into a Jamaican hospital, Norwegian Cruise Lines said. It was obvious to passengers something had happened, Michael Duffy said. “I think whenever they took that woman off in Jamaica, the whole attitude of the boat changed,” he said.

Ship policies suddenly changed — the buffet had staff serving food, rather than allowing passengers to serve themselves. If he and his wife had known what was wrong, they would have holed up in their cabin rather than continuing to mingle on the ship, Michael Duffy said.

Norwegian notified other passengers that the woman had tested positive for covid-19 on March 18, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made them aware of the test, a company spokesperson said.

“Please know that we performed our pre-embarkation medical screenings, which included a non-touch temperature screening as well as a pre-embarkation health questionnaire certifying the guest’s health status and recent travel history,” a company statement read. “At this time, we are not aware of other similar cases from this voyage.”

The Duffys have been chatting with fellow passengers online, several of whom are also sick, Michael Duffy said.

He counts himself and his wife as lucky. They’re both relatively young and healthy — not among the population groups most at risk from coronavirus. He urged people to follow the advice of medical professionals, stay inside and not risk infecting those who might not be as fortunate.

“I don’t want to make light of how bad it can be, because I’m just one person, and my wife’s just one person,” he said.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)