4 minutes ago, Jb944 said:

I wonder if the huge spike is because they just started to test everyone . This is a new  strain of the corona virus and everything is still guesswork. Maybe the incubation period is longer than 14days .

 

originally they were only testing people with a fever, maybe all these people have had it in their system all along.   

 At this stage anything is possible, however, recent info suggests average incubation of 3-5 days, so to have so many outliers on a distribution curve would be very unlikely.  A more likely scenario if it is not spreading ( I think it is still/ or has been still spreading - but that's my own opinion and I have no experience working with viruses.) is that many +ve people remain un-symptomatic throughout there infection. That could be both good and bad news.

Just now, Stateroom_Sailor said:

 

Does anyone know the date that the crew stopped preparing the food?  I think we're well past the 5 day incubation period average, for that to be the major cause.  With people already removed from the ship, the % of new cases VS the remaining passengers, is really spiking.  There's more going on here than a few people trading fruit from their verandas.

 I got the impression that some food was still being made on the ship - things like fried egg arriving still very hot and still soft to cabin would be hard to prepare off the ship.  But we don't know who is now preparing the food for definite, but we do know still being delivered by crew

59 minutes ago, Coral said:

 

 

There has been some criticism by how staff acted during the quarantine (not using face masks around others, etc...). Not sure how accurate it is but it is out there.

 

 

 I put a picture up earlier of the staff some no masks as smoking out on deck definitely not the required distance away from each other that the passengers had been told, and as smoke comes back out of lungs - that could not be good.  However, I got stick for the photo and rightly so it was pointed out to me that the crew where not under the same quarantine conditions as the passengers as they were (I assume still are) all eating at the buffet together.

 In hindsight (which is always wonderful but not at all practical) the crew should may be have been tested first and split apart pre quarantine date start. But as we know testing is a bit sporadic and if viral load too low some false negatives would probably have happened so some crew infected with the virus would perhaps have remained undetected.

And the plan for the British passengers is back up on BBC news 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51526875

Rescue plan 'considered' for Britons trapped on cruise

The Foreign Office is "considering all options" for Britons trapped on a quarantined cruise liner in Japan struck by coronavirus - including flying them home.

Downing Street said officials are in contact with the 74 UK passengers and crew to "establish interest" in a repatriation flight.

1 minute ago, Pushka said:

Honestly, I think that’s what will happen everywhere. It will just become part of the risks of well, breathing. Eventually there will be a vaccine, there will be some deaths sadly, just like there is with the flu and in 12 months time it will be forgotten. Potentially it may dilute as it spreads. 

 Most viruses mutate to get worse a period of time after initial spread and then mutate again to become less lethal as it doesn't help their end game if they kill their hosts.   (there are exceptions of course Ebola being one and FIP (cat coronavirus being another, that's a really odd one - virus mutates after infecting the host in about 10% of cases to become the lethal form FIP)

The baffling thing about this virus is that from what I have seen in research papers it seems to not produce the same antibody reaction in hosts.  That makes the general populations immunity and ability to fight this reliant on drug or vaccines. And also may mean a person can get this twice.

just posted on twitter announcement from  captain

Per captain, general disembarkation for passangers will begin on 19 February and is estimated to end 22 February. Passengers will be notified one day prior to their scheduled disembarkation with instructions. #COVID19 #DiamondPrincess #Quarantine

3 minutes ago, ed01106 said:

That is  a very biased, one sided, false description of the alternative.  There are multiple reasons not to evacuate.  1. Protect the homeland.  If the passengers remain in Japan they won’t spread it in England.  Bring them to England and risk them spending it to others.  2. Am many has observed the airplane flight is an ideal environment for the disease to spread.  I doubt the cost of the flight is the issue as Princess can pay for it, so no precedent would be set.

 

The quarantine is not irrelevant.  While I don’t doubt it will ultimately fail and the disease will go global.  The longer that can be delayed the more time researchers have to develop treatments or even a vaccine.

In fact, as I see it, I am sure princess would happily pay to get everyone off the ship and out of the news.  I am not attaching any blame here to princess at all - as I said earlier they seem to have handled better than other lines.  But people, not on these sort of forums, won't be looking into what other lines have done they just see the princess name and that's unfortunately what they will remember.

 Also UK is taking a different approach to this-

no ban on china flights unless WHO requests

no quarantine of passengers from a list of counties unless showing symptoms 

no closing of schools or venues even if someone is waiting for results - only if they are positive (confirmed by family who are teachers in secondary schools)

I have seen mentioned (but cannot confirm) that after we have a certain number of +ve cases (100 being branded- but , if true, I think it will mean 100 un-traceable). Then testing is to stop and assumption to be made if any flu symptoms it's Coronavirus and ill people must self isolate for 14 days. 

Hospitals have had mini isolation units attached ( read shipping containers)

I get the feeling our approach is we know it is coming- just brace

4 minutes ago, dog said:

Any news regarding the UK sending a plane for their citizens?

 

 

 It was mentioned on the BBC news on-line that UK were in communication with Japan and considering its options for those on board to best protect them and the rest of UK - It was only up for about an hour and then the report changed/ updated and that is no-longer mentioned in the updated one. Strangely you can usually link back to the previous version but on this occasion I cannot find it now.

Just now, fragilek said:

From CNN

 

Thailand will ban all passengers except Thai nationals from the Holland America Westerdam cruise ship, the Public Health Minsniter, Anutin Charnvirakul, said Monday.

One passenger is said to have tested positive for the virus by Malaysian authorities after she was transiting through the country. Passengers from the ship disembarked in Cambodia on Friday after being refused entry at several ports – including in Thailand.

Charnvirakul said all passengers will be banned from entry until “incubation period is over" for 14 days following from February 14.

 

 

 

 

 

 Not sure how that makes any difference if they are not in quarantine from 14 unless no-one else tests positive

Just seen a video from the ship they are having a cocktail night with free cocktails- no masks, entertainment still ongoing too.- At the moment it seems to be a look the other way approach on the ship, especially given the fact that those off the ship are now being told to wear masks.

 Hope this doesn't backfire on everyone involved especially the passengers. 

11 minutes ago, Pushka said:

I’m starting to wonder what a positive actually means. Deaths seem to be confined to the original occupants of Hubei except for a couple of reports of deaths but in the elderly (+80) and those with significant other health issues. And many are positive and wouldn’t even know it or whose symptoms are very mild. And then others swing from positive to negative. Again with no symptoms. 

Yip it is baffling- That being said there are 18 seriously ill in hospital from the ship-No idea of age of those people tho.

Also under investigation is the effect of the virus on different demographics, there are a few papers now on this, but still to be independently verified. 

I worked on a drug that was discovered because a certain race  (a not even a race more of linked group of  tribes) of people did not get certain illnesses. It was found they were genetically coded with an inhibitor of a certain protein. 

1 minute ago, Farts said:

HAL and Princess have the same parent company. Just FYI. 

 

and yea, I would expect that much from NCL. Always trying to push up the base fair. For our convenience of course...

 I know they are both under carnival that's why it is so baffling that they seem to have taken such different approaches to this, not just about the quarantine - but just about every decision has taken each company down differing paths.

5 minutes ago, Pushka said:

I’ve heard people say exactly that. But you know what? They had never been on a cruise and had no plans to take one. 

 I sort of get why some are saying no to cruises now.  We enjoyed 3 cruises over the last year and we were in the process of looking for our next one. However, we are going to give the rest of the year a miss (we may decide to not even holiday at all depending on what happens over the next few months).  However, all being well, we will return to cruising and after seeing how Princess has dealt with the fall out of this, they are definitely on our list to choose from.  On the other hand, HAL and NCL are off the list having followed how they have approached this situation.

15 minutes ago, pictonite said:

Please quote your source.  Anxious people in PhnomPenh are still waiting to hear!

"Still on board. They’ve tested guests and 185 of 380 in Kuala Lumpur have tested negative so far. They’re going to swab the rest of us coronavirus and results for everybody may take 2 days to complete and then hopefully they’ll book flights providing everyone’s negative". from someone still on the ship  twitter @Lorrian34100

Not heard anything about the PhnomPenh guest yet. If I do I will reply back to you straight away with source. Best wishes

18 minutes ago, dado123456 said:

February 17, 2020

 

Sihanoukville, Preah Sihanouk province: 

The State Secretariat for Civil Aviation (SSCA) said yesterday that 494 of MS Westerdam’s 2,257 passengers and crew have left for their home country through Phnom Penh International Airport and a further 145 through Sihanoukville International Airport.

Chea Aun, spokesman for SSCA, said that the remaining passengers and crew are expected to leave in batches in the coming days via Phnom Penh International Airport. It is not yet known when or how the MS Westerdam will set sail, given that crew members are among those who have left the vessel and headed for their respective home countries....

 

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50691772/almost-500-passengers-of-ms-westerdam-have-headed-home

 

Does this takes into account that some are now are now stuck in Kuala Lumpur  or some who got to the Phnom Penh and were then taken back to hotels?

 Just read that about 1/2 the test results for those in the hotels have come back negative (those still on the ship will be the last to undergo testing) - However, which countries will trust these results and allow the passengers to transit through given that the same Cambodia tested and found the infected woman negative.  Will they accept that the tests are quite often wrong regardless of who is undertaking them, or will they just not trust the Cambodian testing.

Just seen the video of the passengers getting on the plane and I am even more worried about this move now.  Apart from the fact that 14 on the bus were then were pulled aside for the plane as they were positive, there are people walking up the isle putting their hands on each seat back as they go - no gloves- I really hope this doesn't back fire.  

4 minutes ago, Pushka said:

And 40 people tested positive and were not allowed to fly to US. That flight is a Petri dish now. Along with the bus trip to the airport. 
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-51524460

 does anyone know if this is an additional 40 over and above the numbers already released earlier on 16th? I can't confirm that so far

this beggars belief - I had to check this wasn't a spoof account!

 I think they were involved in getting them in port, overseeing testing and onward plans.  Now it seems the politics of save face comes into play. Knowing what they do about the Diamond Princess - Low risk is a outrageous  take on this situation

13 minutes ago, LoraJ said:

Meanwhile, my parents have been in transit and HAL has not reached out to them at all and are only getting updates from family. My brother is picking them up at the airport and called HAL to make sure and they said they said they are good for pick up. 

- words fail me! What do you plan to do? I would consider masks for all as a minimum until the situation is clearer. How will your parents feel if in the next few days if more people start to be diagnosed with this and precautions haven't been taken. 

Best wishes for you during what must be a stressful time

7 minutes ago, HALrunner said:

Has their been any indication that those still on the Westerdam would now be quarantined to their cabins? 

 I haven't heard anything from those on the ship yet.  Here is a twitter feed for a family still on it.  

Only 1 of the 4 charter flights made it onward before this happened.  the other 3 flights were cancelled.  The people from those are now in local hotels (or still at the airport). I know at least some in the hotels have now been given masks and have been swabs - obviously the hope is all in all hotels will have had the same but can only confirm the one lot I have heard about.

No idea how long the testing will take if doing all , and what the result will mean as they already did not pick up on the lady who later was positive.

18 minutes ago, Moparop said:

Everyone in the hotel has been given a full health check and had a CV19 test performed. They were told this morning that they could not leave their rooms until the check was done. At the check, they were given masks to wear and told to have it on at all times. That’s what I know at this time. 

 Glad to hear they a least have the reassurance of the masks and have had testing done. Hopefully they will know more about what is to happen re their onward plans soon