US tourists stranded abroad during virus outbreak

After days of trying to return to the U.S. from Peru, Mike Rustici and Linda Scruggs caught a flight that landed in Miami, Florida on Saturday.

Like thousands of U.S. tourists and Americans living abroad, the couple was caught in limbo as nations closed their borders to try to stop the spread of the new coronavirus.

Rustici and Scruggs said they didn't know how or when they would make it home to Nashville, Tennessee – especially after the State Department essentially told them they were on their own.

The couple said they were grateful to be able to finally return, but they're concerned for other stranded travelers hoping to go home as the global outbreak rages on.

"It's a big mixture of relief and guilt, almost like survivor's guilt. We know there's so many more people still over there," Rustici said. "In the end, we just got really really really lucky."

Rustici and Scruggs said they trained months to hike to Peru's Machu Picchu Inca ruins and arrived in Peru this month.

Days after they landed, Peru's borders were closed. The two said they were stuck in a hotel for days and received little help from the U.S. Embassy in Lima.

For most people, the new virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority recover.