Norovirus on eclipse - delayed sailing tonight

[dkjretired]

There's a report about the outbreak in the Echo today:

 

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/9277169.Sickness_bug_delays_cruise/

 

Interesting comment below asking why people didn't get the norovirus in the Sixties - probably because people's hygiene habits were a lot better in those days - no fingers in the buffet for them (if there was a buffet :))

 

People got Noro in the 60s, about 50 million Americans get noro every year.

[Rivington90]

Yes, this is what my brother reported also, yuk

 

You would expect it of children, but not adults, and my brother said the offenders were mainly the very elderly

 

 

Sympathy with many of those affected and also with the cruise line. Sadly, I am sure some of the affected are the very people who refuse/avoid the hand sanitiser to the detriment of themselves, but more importantly to the detriment of others.

 

In my experience having sialed on ships with the virus, but thankfully not been personally affected, the cruise lines are excellent, but it is the very people who should know better who avoid the hand wash and children and youths who offer their hands to be sanitised. Have to say whenever we cruise we look out for the sanitiser and some ships are better and more prominent with it than others, but we also always carry with us a small bottle (or two) of sanitiser which we use at the table.

 

It really is unforgiveable to be using hands in the buffet rather than the forks etc. provided and to avoid the hand gel. In a different age I am sure a number of us would politely remind erring fellow cruisers, but these days no doubt that would lead to a mouthful of abuse or worse. Sad times!

[Rivington90]

Yes, this is what my brother reported also, yuk

 

You would expect it of children, but not adults, and my brother said the offenders were mainly the very elderly

 

 

Sympathy with many of those affected and also with the cruise line. Sadly, I am sure some of the affected are the very people who refuse/avoid the hand sanitiser to the detriment of themselves, but more importantly to the detriment of others.

 

In my experience having sialed on ships with the virus, but thankfully not been personally affected, the cruise lines are excellent, but it is the very people who should know better who avoid the hand wash and children and youths who offer their hands to be sanitised. Have to say whenever we cruise we look out for the sanitiser and some ships are better and more prominent with it than others, but we also always carry with us a small bottle (or two) of sanitiser which we use at the table.

 

It really is unforgiveable to be using hands in the buffet rather than the forks etc. provided and to avoid the hand gel. In a different age I am sure a number of us would politely remind erring fellow cruisers, but these days no doubt that would lead to a mouthful of abuse or worse. Sad times!

[dkjretired]

Sympathy with many of those affected and also with the cruise line. Sadly, I am sure some of the affected are the very people who refuse/avoid the hand sanitiser to the detriment of themselves, but more importantly to the detriment of others.

 

In my experience having sialed on ships with the virus, but thankfully not been personally affected, the cruise lines are excellent, but it is the very people who should know better who avoid the hand wash and children and youths who offer their hands to be sanitised. Have to say whenever we cruise we look out for the sanitiser and some ships are better and more prominent with it than others, but we also always carry with us a small bottle (or two) of sanitiser which we use at the table.

 

It really is unforgiveable to be using hands in the buffet rather than the forks etc. provided and to avoid the hand gel. In a different age I am sure a number of us would politely remind erring fellow cruisers, but these days no doubt that would lead to a mouthful of abuse or worse. Sad times!

 

I would not suggest that you remind people to use the hand gel, there are many people out there including medical professionals who are not in favor of using them....Just passing this on....

[Denny01]

Interesting comment below (Edit: in the Echo)asking why people didn't get the norovirus in the Sixties - probably because people's hygiene habits were a lot better in those days - no fingers in the buffet for them (if there was a buffet :))

No, probably because we didn't have the internet and websites such as this for instant messaging any info we hear or read, or that happens to us, including sharing our projectile vomiting. We in the '60's had better hygiene habits??? I doubt that very much. The cold is a virus much like norovirus (except for the Very nasty norovirus symptoms!), and I do remember sneezing and coughing once or twice in the '60's. In the '60's, we just didn't go up and tell everyone we could find, 'hi, I just spent the weekend vomiting and had the runaway runs....how was your weekend?'

 

Do remember schools closing due to the flu epidemics, which is another form of norovirus.

 

Den

[nellydean]

nellydean, could you clarify your statement that "the offenders were mainly the very elderly"? I understand the very elderly are more susceptible to the virus, but I'm not clear about their being considered "offenders."

 

That's what he said, the offenders were the oldest passengers

[nellydean]

No, probably because we didn't have the internet and websites such as this for instant messaging any info we hear or read, or that happens to us, including sharing our projectile vomiting. We in the '60's had better hygiene habits??? I doubt that very much. The cold is a virus much like norovirus (except for the Very nasty norovirus symptoms!), and I do remember sneezing and coughing once or twice in the '60's. In the '60's, we just didn't go up and tell everyone we could find, 'hi, I just spent the weekend vomiting and had the runaway runs....how was your weekend?'

 

Do remember schools closing due to the flu epidemics, which is another form of norovirus.

 

Den

 

If you can remember the '60s you weren't really there ;)

[dkjretired]

If you can remember the '60s you weren't really there ;)

 

How true....

[nellydean]

How true....

 

Actually, I was there, and I do remember them, but I was only 14 when the decade ended, so just a bit too young to go to the Cavern Club in Liverpool where I lived to see the Beatles perform, unlike my older cousin - but John and Paul did wave to me once on a civic parade around the city, so that's my claim to fame :)

[jackdiamond]

nycmode,

 

Here is an article that indicates that blood type O is more likely to acquire the Norovirus. Also what is interesting in the article is that alcohol based hand sanitizer are not as effective against the Norovirus.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norovirus

Thank you, for posting a very interesting and educational article.

[nellydean]

double post sorry

[dkjretired]

Off topic but just came across this reading the news.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/29/christy-grant_n_987879.html

[Honeybearhollow]

 

He says he couldn't fault Celebrity's hygiene in trying to contain the virus, but some passengers, particularly elderly travellers, did not help by refusing to use the hand gel dispensers before meals and, worse, picking up food in the buffet with their hands. He said the outbreak happened a couple of days out, so he reckons someone has boarded the ship knowing they had a stomach upset and lied about it on the questionnaire at boarding, which is a bit mean, considering they would have been alllowed to board but confined to quarters for a couple of days (which is what happened to subsequent sufferers)

 

This statement sounds very anti-elderly and a bit offensive. Elderly people always get illnesses in a large number because their immune systems do not work as well. They also usually get sicker and often die. That does NOT mean that they are any less sanitary or hygienic. How many elderly people did he observe doing these things? One or two or five? Did he stand and watch to see if only the elderly were picking up food with their hands or not using sanitizers? Most elderly people are extremely hygienic and very picky about sanitation because they know they are vulnerable. I believe this statement is a blatant misrepresentation of the facts!

[nellydean]

 

He says he couldn't fault Celebrity's hygiene in trying to contain the virus, but some passengers, particularly elderly travellers, did not help by refusing to use the hand gel dispensers before meals and, worse, picking up food in the buffet with their hands. He said the outbreak happened a couple of days out, so he reckons someone has boarded the ship knowing they had a stomach upset and lied about it on the questionnaire at boarding, which is a bit mean, considering they would have been alllowed to board but confined to quarters for a couple of days (which is what happened to subsequent sufferers)

 

This statement sounds very anti-elderly and a bit offensive. Elderly people always get illnesses in a large number because their immune systems do not work as well. They also usually get sicker and often die. That does NOT mean that they are any less sanitary or hygienic. How many elderly people did he observe doing these things? One or two or five? Did he stand and watch to see if only the elderly were picking up food with their hands or not using sanitizers? Most elderly people are extremely hygienic and very picky about sanitation because they know they are vulnerable. I believe this statement is a blatant misrepresentation of the facts!

 

You can think what you like, I don't give a damn. I just reported his observations, that he saw a number of elderly people picking up food with their hands. At 61, he is no spring chicken himself, so elderly to him is late '70s/'80s. Just because you don't like what you read doesn't mean it's not true, and if you find the truth offensive, tough.

[shoreham01]

I think that Noro has always been around, but before we used to just say we had a very bad stomach upset. People just thought they had a bit of food poisoning or caught a bug. Now the name Noro is used people take more notice of it.

 

Another interesting thing that has crossed my mind is that all our food is now washed and scrubbed and neatly packaged before we purchase it. When I was a child we ate fresh vegetables straight from the ground, they were never squeeky clean, just pealed and washed before boiling, sometimes with a little of the earth still there. Now everything is so sanitised could it be that we have lost our resistance to bad bacteria. I can remember my parents saying 'a little bit of dirt doesn't do anyone any harm'. I will add the fact that as children, and of course now we always wash our hands when visiting the bathroom. I am horrified to see how many women come straight out of the bathroom without as much as a glance towards the sink. There are also a lot of mothers with todlers and children who never tell their children to wash their hands after the bathroom.

[chloe kitty]

After my recent experience where most of the passengers came from Mediterranian countries, I saw that many of them did not use the sanitary sprays. Many countries don't have the same sanitary habits that the english speaking countries do.

[Sonicked]

Ugh. I'm type O! My boyfriend is B+. Not fair! I don't want to be predispositioned to it! lol

 

A predisposition doesn't mean you WILL contract it, it just means that it will be easier for the virus to affect your system if you DO contract it.

 

Follow the guidelines properly, wash your hands regularly, and use sanitiser as much as possible, and you will be fine.

[sasset]

Duplicate

[sasset]

After my recent experience where most of the passengers came from Mediterranian countries, I saw that many of them did not use the sanitary sprays. Many countries don't have the same sanitary habits that the english speaking countries do.

 

Classic.

[cpinstein]

Not that I'm promoting picking up food with your hands from the buffet, but if someone didn't wash their hands, isn't using the tongs even worse? Everyone will be touching the tongs afterwards.

[letsgo39]

After my recent experience where most of the passengers came from Mediterranian countries, I saw that many of them did not use the sanitary sprays. Many countries don't have the same sanitary habits that the english speaking countries do.

 

 

Are you kidding me? Yet another typical comment for YOU. Jeeeze!:(

[Schplinky]

After my recent experience where most of the passengers came from Mediterranian countries, I saw that many of them did not use the sanitary sprays. Many countries don't have the same sanitary habits that the english speaking countries do.

 

 

Seriously?

 

The people we've seen evade the hand sanitisers have grumbled in perfect English that they're not participating in all that hysteria (direct quote).

Also have seen men leave the stall in men's room and head out without washing and they are speaking English with friends while they walk into the buffet.

[Tony UK]

Lots of posts trying to identify how these things happen and who is responsible, but I fear we'll only end up alienating a group. Lets not be unfair!

 

The important thing is that everyone does there utmost to use the facilities offered like tongs, hand sanitizers etc. The only extra thing the cruise line could do is to enforce the use of the sanitizers when embarking and re-boarding the ship to limit what i brought on board, and at the entry points to all eateries where it should be no hand sanitizer, no entrance. That might make people understand the seriousness of this issue. It is in all our best interests to comply.

 

Angie

[Denny01]

Seriously?

 

The people we've seen evade the hand sanitisers have grumbled in perfect English that they're not participating in all that hysteria (direct quote).

Also have seen men leave the stall in men's room and head out without washing and they are speaking English with friends while they walk into the buffet.

 

Oh no, if couldn't have been any English-speaking people....we are All so sanitary. It must have been 'those' people speaking excellent English, kind of like me when I'm trying to remember how to say thankyou in a local language. That's the trouble with going on cruises....all those 'foreigners' in the ports and they aren't as sanitary as 'we' are. I guess it must have been all 'those Mediterranean people' cruising on the Mercury out if Charleston who caused all that norovirus last year.

 

After reading these very informative posts, I guess the most sanitary and non-viral people were in the US, in the 60's with AB blood type. You learn such great stuff every day.

 

By the way, why do these noro-threads get so weird?

 

Den

[gosport11]

Maybe a lecture on handwashing/santising at muster would be a good idea;)

When we went on a shore trip with Thomson cruise they sent a santising crew on every bus to make sure people kept healthy,this was in Cario :):)