Norovirus why do I always get it?

[HEINER]

Please help!!

Why do I keep getting Norovirus when we cruise?

I wipe down the cabin with bleach wipes I also buy liquid bleach and disinfect the bathroom.

I have no health issues. I just don't want to see the "hit" squard in white full body bio-hazard looking suits this cruise.

We will be on a 29 day cruise Sydney to LA.

 

Thanks for any information you can give me so I can have a save cruise.

 

Betty:)

[itzmered]

wash your hands wash your hands wash your hands :D That is the best advice I can give you. You may also want to talk to your Dr before going and see if he can give you some type of immune booster to take prior to your cruise.

[Abercrombie2007]

The only preventative measure that I know of is to wash your hands well and frequently. (and hope that everyone else does too!) ;)

 

I hope that you have a safe and healthy cruise.

[vmom]

The absolute more effective things you can do are to wash your hands frequently and thoroughly and to avoid touching your face with your hands. Often we unknowingly touch our face, mouth, nose etc. so it has to become an unconscious habit.

[paul929207]

Had to guess why one gets it and not another. We have never gotten it and my wife has a compromised immune system

[caribill]

How soon into a cruise do you get it?

 

If it is only a day or two, you probably picked it up on the way to the cruise.

[HEINER]

How soon into a cruise do you get it?

 

If it is only a day or two, you probably picked it up on the way to the cruise.

 

I am about half way into the cruise. And most of our cruise are long ones.

 

 

 

Thanks so much to everyone with all you information.

 

Betty

[Talisker92]

My wife did not get that one, but she and a few others on our river cruise got really sick. I figured it was the fact that there were only 2 computers and everyone was using them. When we got on the Star Princess, there was a tube of wipes at every computer. I diligently used them to wipe down the keyboard and the mouse.

[chrysalis]

Don't eat anything with your hands, particularly at the buffet. Knife, fork and spoon only.

 

Avoid the public washrooms.

[Toto2Kansas]

I think the handwashing is the best presentative tip of all. But I also might add that some people let their systems get run down before boarding, and therefore are more apt to catch something from other passengers. Get plenty of rest before the cruise, no matter how excited you get, and don't stress out. I would hit every washroom I passed if I did tend to come down with noro on each cruise I took. Keep in mind, the cabin isn't as big of an issue as the things you touch outside of the cabin. If someone had noro in your cabin on the previous sailing, you bet cha the cruise line did a thorough cleaning of that cabin before you boarded. Keep your hands away from your face, and wash wash wash. Best of Luck!

[dcl1710]

Besides washing hands which is the most important, start taking Airborne a few days before the cruise to boost the immune system. My DH flies a lot due to work and he has not had a cold in years. We love the product. There are others that compete with it and probably work as well.

[Cruisers from WA]

Don't eat in the buffet....everyone touches the spoons, ladles, tongs, etc and even the food....YUK!

[Toto2Kansas]

Besides washing hands which is the most important, start taking Airborne a few days before the cruise to boost the immune system. My DH flies a lot due to work and he has not had a cold in years. We love the product. There are others that compete with it and probably work as well.

I don't take airborne but I do start taking vitamin C and multi vitamins about a month before we sail, and continue to take them onboard throughout the cruise. I used to always catch something from the passengers coming on sick, but since I started this, I have yet to get sick on a cruise. Along with washing my hands as often as possible.;)

[CanuckCurlers]

Avoid using the public washrooms and touching the stair and deck handrails, along with the hand washing of course. A friend also suggests eating yogurt every day. She travels a lot and says it works for her.

[Katie333]

Avoid pushing the elevator buttons with your fingers, they are so germy and as others have said, we often unconsciously touch our faces.

 

Wash your hands, and be really conscientious about all public spaces. We were on a heavily infected noro cruise that lasted almost the entire 10 days. None of us in our party of six got sick. We saw many people avoiding the simple pre-cautions.

[Whimsy]

Wash, wash, wash and don't touch! Don't touch the handrails, door knobs, anything other people touch. Of course it is inevitable that you will touch surfaces other people touch so when you do be sure to go in the bathroom and wash your hands for the length of happy birthday. Personally I do not trust the hand sanitizers, I am old fashioned and like soap and water best. I would also suggest you talk to your doctor to see what would help improve your immune system. Be sure to practice all this on the way to the ship, overnight at the hotel, etc.

[countrycruzr]

Disinfect every surface in your cabin as soon as you get there. I even spray the bed with lysol the first day. Make sure you get the remote. It is one of the dirtiest things in your room! Re-wipe surfaces your steward touches daily.

 

Washing hands is crucial. Wash every time you enter your cabin. When you can't wash, use hand sanitizer with at 60 percent alcohol and rub it in good after you touch anything. Use your elbow for elevator buttons, try not to use railings. Bottom line: if you touch it, don't touch your face before you sanitize very, very well! It sounds obsessive, but it works and it becomes second nature really quick. Just carry a little travel size sanitizer in your pocket.

 

It is easy to catch something on the plane. Be especially vigilant here. Wipe your armrests, don't touch the tops of other's seats, sanitize after you touch anything, even wipe your drink after the flight attendant hands it to you!

 

Here is a link to an article about how to avoid swine flu and any other pathogen for that matter: http://www.helium.com/items/1595914-how-to-avoid-the-swine-flu-h1n1-n95-mask-hand-sanitizer-h1n1-vaccine

[Passin Thru]

People are becoming a bunch of germaphobics. You cant avoid it forever unless you live in a vacuum. You have probably built up an immunity from having it. The Chinese wore masks to prevent themselves from getting hog virus and they didnt know they were actually protecting everyone else by preventing their germs from escaping not germs from gettin in. You're gonna get near a kid or someone somewhere. It makes me laugh.:D:D:D

[BosoxI]

Don't eat in the buffet....everyone touches the spoons, ladles, tongs, etc and even the food....YUK!

 

How true. I just came off the Grand today and saw a number of men use the bathroom facilities, then leave without washing their hands. But my favorite was the guy who lifted the plastic dome, grabbed 2 rolls barehanded, coughed on the remaining food, and then replaced the dome. I told a passing steward about it and he took away the food, but who knows if it reappeared in a few minutes?

[Happy ks]

Are you sure you are getting a virus and not merely an upset tummy from eating foods you don't normally eat at home?

 

Look at the symptoms of Noro-virus: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/gastro/norovirus-qa.htm

 

When we travel I can be affected by different foods, especially the rich foods served on cruise ships. I've started trying to eat more like I do at home and that seems to help a lot.

 

I would hate it if every cruise I ended up bed ridden for a few days, with vomiting, diarrhea and a fever. I had this earlier this year (I think in May) and went to the dr. (not cruise related) and it was not Noro-virus. It was unspecified, no virus found. I just stayed on a bland diet for a couple of weeks and it cleared up on its own after about 10 days...lasted a long time :rolleyes:.

[CrusinAgain]

I got it also on a NCL cruise half way into it as well as 13 percent of the passengers. My sister didn't and the only thing we did different was eat, so I firmly feel it was from the food and a crew member had it because we are far too proactive with the Lysol, wipes and constantly using the germ wipes after touching anything public including the spoons in the buffet.

[BruceMuzz]

I got it also on a NCL cruise half way into it as well as 13 percent of the passengers. My sister didn't and the only thing we did different was eat, so I firmly feel it was from the food and a crew member had it because we are far too proactive with the Lysol, wipes and constantly using the germ wipes after touching anything public including the spoons in the buffet.

 

One of the primary causes of NLV infection is theh false sense of security that many people get after using cleaning products that are proven to be completely ineffective against viruses. They then consider themselves and the surfaces around them are virus free.

They couldn't be more wrong - and usually pay the price.

 

Lysol and most cleaning wipes, sprays, gels, etc, are rarely effective in any way when trying to clean for viruses.

If you don't see the cruise lines using those particular products, you can guess that there is a pretty good reason for it.

 

People with type O blood are believed (by CDC studies) to be more susceptible to NLV infection.

People who take a contaminated purell bottle out of a contaminated purse or pocket, then sanitize their hands before putting them back into the contaminated purse or pocket are just begging to get sick.

[sail7seas]

Knowing your position on cruise ships and respecting that authority, I accept what you say to be true. But I don't understand why the cruise lines put Purell dispensers all over the place if they give false sense of cleanliness and, if what you say is true, actually make the spread of virus more likely given many guests REASONABLY expect the Purell is providing protection. Why would the cruise line require their use before entry to the dining room? Why put them in all public areas if they are ineffective?

 

As an American who cruises frequently, I wash my hands well and often but also make use of the Purell at entrance dining areas. Should I stop using them? :confused:

[mapsmith]

I also think we are becoming a people of germophobes. I wonder how many normal "bugs" are now becoming Purell-resistant. Simple hand washing with warm soapy water is actually more effective. Wipes just "wipe" the surface. To be really effective a wipe would have to scrub. And, if, yes if, the bugs you are wiping down are becoming Purell-resistant, then wiping is just moving them from one area to another.

 

The human body has a remarkable ability to develop natural antibodies to fight things like Noro.

[cb at sea]

Do you disinfect all the time at home? If so, you're probably not giving your immune system enough to do! Humans NEED to come in contact with germs in order for your immune system to work properly. Keeping yourself in a somewhat "sterile" enviroment almost guarantees that the 1st germ you see will get'cha!

 

Do you have kids? That's the most likely source of Noro...schools are rampant with it!

 

Wash your hands with soap and water...avoid touching your face...eyes, nose and mouth are great entry points! Don't eat in the buffet...use the dining room.

 

Good luck! Noro totally sucks!