John and Melanie Haering get negative tests for COVID-19 ♦

Things are looking up for a Tooele couple that has been separated by an ocean and a virus.

John and Melanie Haering received negative test results for the novel coronavirus on Wednesday and will soon be reunited.

The two were aboard a cruise ship that was quarantined in a Japanese port on Feb. 6 after a passenger who got off the ship in Hong Kong tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

A few days later, John Haering became ill with flu-like symptoms including fever, chills and nausea for four days.

On Feb. 12, Haering reported that his fever broke when he woke up that morning. He said he was feeling better and was able to eat again.

But later Wednesday evening, he was transported to a Tokyo-area hospital by medical staff.

In the hospital he developed pneumonia and tested positive for COVID-19.

“Happy day is here,” said John Haering as he fought back tears in a video posted Wednesday on Melanie Haering’s Facebook page. “I’m free to go. They gave me my release. I’m coming back to the USA.”

John Haering said that doctors have told him his pneumonia is not a problem.

“They said no problem; it will just go away,” he said.

While John Haering was in the hospital in Japan, Melanie Haering, along with other U.S. citizens aboard the quarantined cruise ship, were transported to Travis Air Force Base in California on Feb. 17.

Arriving at the base on Feb. 17, Melanie Haering faced a 14-day quarantine. But she also received a negative COVID-19 test result on Wednesday. She said she will soon be free to return home.

“I’m negative and I am so thrilled,” she said while excitedly waving around an envelope with her test results in a video posted on her Facebook page. “Honey, we’re going home.”

According to the World Health Organization, coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The novel coronavirus is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.

Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.

Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, and thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.