Norovirus

[ONECRUISER]

44 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

The CDC, to whom these outbreaks are reported, and who study the epidemiology of the disease, feel that the food borne vector of transmission of noro on cruise ships is very rare, and the majority of cases are from contaminated surfaces.  They also study, more importantly than the raw number of cases, the trend of those cases.  If the number of cases reported each day increases during the cruise, and then starts to reduce, and then increases again after the passengers change out, the most likely cause is passengers bringing it on each cruise.  If the trend stays high during the end of a cruise and into the next, then it is looked at as most likely a crew issue.  The crew are well trained in hand sanitation, and since they live onboard for months at a time, they certainly don't want the disease running around the ship getting them sick, and also one person's hand hygiene doesn't change week to week, so if that crew member contaminated food one week, it would happen again and again over the months he/she was onboard.

 

One very large transmission vector that most people don't think about is eating food with your hands.  Let's say that someone with contaminated hands touches the tongs in the buffet for the burger buns.  You then touch the tongs and contaminate your hands.  Now, you know not to touch your face with your hands, so you think you are safe, but those contaminated hands pick up the burger, now contaminating the bun, and you readily ingest the virus.  If there is noro on the ship (and I've never been on a cruise ship where there hasn't been at least one case of GI illness each week), then don't eat anything with your hands:  burgers, fries, pizza, use that knife and fork.

Thank-you, well said

[Mikew0805]

5 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

 

I got it for years, and the strain every year never matched the shot.  All I really ended up with was a sore arm and shoulder for a few days. 

Ahhh, but the kick to the immune system to build antibodies is a good thing. I take every opportunity. 🙂

 

 

 

[Trinam2]

So upset about this. We are leaving on Oasis the Sunday after next.

[Gershep]

A friend of mine is boarding this Sunday she is freaking out. I don't blame her.

[megr1125]

9 hours ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

I think Biker has forgotten his roots. Very unlike him to wake up a old thread. 

No one woke up an oldie. The MODS merged someone's NEW Oasis Noro thread with this one that's 7 years old! I reported it 2 times and asked to have it split up....

[payitforward]

1 hour ago, Trinam2 said:

So upset about this. We are leaving on Oasis the Sunday after next.

First, it is less than 2% of the people on board. Second, the only possible way that this will impact your cruise is that they will be more vigilant about cleaning and disinfecting everything. Really nothing worth getting upset about now. I'm on Oasis in Feb, and am not the least bit concerned.

[chengkp75]

7 hours ago, boscobeans said:

 

 

Isopropyl Alcohol - 58.6000%

 

Octyl Decyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride - 0.0075%
According to the EPA it is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans. Possible rash type symptoms.

 

Didecyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride - 0.0045%
Commonly used as an algaecide in swimming pools

 

Dioctyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride - 0.0030%
Another commonly use algaecide

 

Amazingly low concentrations of the quats are needed. Possibly due to the denaturing and cell wall damage from the alcohol added to the internal cellular destructive properties of the quats.

 

OTHER INGREDIENTS: 41.3850%

 

Disinfection This product is recommended for use as a disinfectant on inanimate, precleaned, hard, nonporous surfaces such as chairs, countertops, drawer pulls, carts, baskets, tables, cabinets, telephones, plastic surfaces, glazed ceramic, glazed porcelain, chrome, stainless steel, aluminum, laminated surfaces and other related hard surfaces in hospitals, operating rooms, medical clinics, nursing homes, laboratories, schools, day care centers, funeral homes. Preclean surfaces prior to disinfecting. This product may be used to preclean. To disinfect, apply with a sponge, wipe, mechanical sprayer, or by total immersion. When applied with a mechanical sprayer, spray should be coarse. Surfaces must be sprayed until thoroughly wetted. Treated surfaces must remain wet for 5 minutes.

Kills 99.999% of 9 tested pathogens in 60 seconds on food contact surfaces, including non-porous rubber gloves 10 second kill on non-food contact surfaces, including non-porous rubber footwear

Not sure how much of that is quote from product literature and how much is your comment, but I find it interesting that they claim that it only needs a 60 second contact time for food contact surfaces, yet they state above that that the surfaces must remain wet (contact time) for 5 minutes.  A 5 minute contact time explains the low quat concentrations.

[vacationlover_mn]

12 hours ago, dianajo67 said:

Hand sanitizer does not kill the norovirus.  Cruiselines that don’t push the use of sanitizer actually have fewer outbreaks according to studies.  Theory is that hand sanitizer gives folks a false sense of security so overall handwashing with soap goes down.  I first heard this on a rick Steve’s talk and looked it up for myself.  Now I just constantly wash my hands when I’m on ship.

Actually, standard hand sanitizer doesn’t, but there are some more expensive brands, like purell advanced, that say they do.  However, we still always try to wash our hands, then get the cheapy ship sanitizer, then use purell advanced after touching the menus...

[Ourusualbeach]

6 hours ago, megr1125 said:

No one woke up an oldie. The MODS merged someone's NEW Oasis Noro thread with this one that's 7 years old! I reported it 2 times and asked to have it split up....

 

Actually Biker did purposely revive an oldie.  See his posts.  There was at least one possibly 2 subsequent threads that were merged into this one after Biker revived it,

[coaster]

6 hours ago, payitforward said:

First, it is less than 2% of the people on board. Second, the only possible way that this will impact your cruise is that they will be more vigilant about cleaning and disinfecting everything. Really nothing worth getting upset about now. I'm on Oasis in Feb, and am not the least bit concerned.

The percentage reported ill will always be lower the true amount. The number given out is the percentage of passengers that have reported their illness to medical. Unfortunately, not all do.

[Milwaukee Eight]

1 minute ago, Ourusualbeach said:

 

Actually Biker did purposely revive an oldie.  See his posts.  There was at least one possibly 2 subsequent threads that were merged into this one after Biker revived it,

Very unlike Biker. 

[Ourusualbeach]

6 minutes ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

Very unlike Biker. 

Read his posts.  It is totally like Biker. 

[Oneluckywoman]

I don't know if this has been mentioned, but the ship doctor is making complimentary visits to your stateroom to give you a checkup and meds if needed. Royal deserves a gold star for the way they are handling this in my opinion. 

 

PS.... I'm still ok. My husband stayed in bed all day yesterday (day 2 of the virus) and was able to eat the BRAT diet. He is sleeping now and I'm hoping he will feel better today. We have not called the doc nor have we reported his illness. I bet there are others who have not reported so the numbers of those infected are probably higher than they think. 

[benebire]

Royal is doing an amazing job handling the Noro situation. Staff must be exhausted as they are constantly cleaning sanitizing. All common items removed from tables. Purell wipe cannisters everywhere along with the usual squirt sanitizer. Jamaica did not allow us to get off and Royal gave everyone a 1 day credit to our accounts. There is a person standing at the freestyle coke machine wiping it after each use. Hoping to stay healthy and constant hand washing. We were told approximately 2% of those onboard affected. They took on extra medical staff in Jamaica to help care for the sick. Not sure whether we will be allowed off in Cozumel.

Edited January 10, 2019 by benebire

[vanelli56]

Hope everyone gets to feeling better soon. 

Let us know if they let people get off in Cozumel or hold everyone on the boat. 

 

[Biker19]

[Biker19]

The financial folks must’ve been busy overnight- the OBC is already showing on the account. 

[megr1125]

1 hour ago, Ourusualbeach said:

 

Actually Biker did purposely revive an oldie.  See his posts.  There was at least one possibly 2 subsequent threads that were merged into this one after Biker revived it,

Ok, but the NEW one was moved to this one. And regardless, this needs to be split back into its own...

 

🤔🤔🤔

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, megr1125 said:

And regardless, this needs to be split back into its own...

The mods have been doing a lot of merging of threads on topics that discuss similar issues- no splitting this up and likely any new ship report of noro might end up in this thread. 

[Ourusualbeach]

5 minutes ago, megr1125 said:

Ok, but the NEW one was moved to this one. And regardless, this needs to be split back into its own...

 

🤔🤔🤔

Why?

[Big_G]

9 hours ago, Trinam2 said:

So upset about this. We are leaving on Oasis the Sunday after next.

 

8 hours ago, Gershep said:

A friend of mine is boarding this Sunday she is freaking out. I don't blame her.

 

I wouldn't freak out over this. Tis' the season. The ship will be cleaned and you just need to be a little cautious. We've been on several post noro cruises and never had a problem.

[poncho1973]

6 minutes ago, megr1125 said:

Ok, but the NEW one was moved to this one. And regardless, this needs to be split back into its own...

 

🤔🤔🤔

It absolutely does not need to be.  This is EXACTLY what we always tell people to do, comment in existing threads on topics.  The mini-modding isn't needed.

 

 

 

 

On a more topical note, my parents are going for their first cruise by themselves on the next Oasis cruise after this one.  My mom saw the WESH news story (btw, that person was out of their mind in their recommendations especially since they claim to be sick and basically insisted they be allowed to do more??? WHAT THE???) and I've spent most of my morning making sure she's as informed as possible. 

 

 

[John&LaLa]

17 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

The financial folks must’ve been busy overnight- the OBC is already showing on the account. 

 

We got $164 which is odd since this was a free casino cruise

[Big_G]

14 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

Well, I apparently have it.  Probably Karma for posting the puke picture.

 

Get well soon.

[John&LaLa]

Apparently I don't officially have Noro as I have not vomited. I am self quarantining for the day. Laura is up in SL to keep away from me.  I hear lots of folks are hiding in their cabins.

 

Rumor onboard is there are a lot of folks not reporting their symptoms.  I did witness a younger passenger in the SL filling their water bottle from the water dispenser.  I guess I should have said something