Norovirus & hand sanitisers

[bazzaw]

WE seem to have two concurrent forum threads running regarding this :p

 

This is what I have posted in the other one :o

 

I will be shortly purchasing some of this as they are conveniently packaged. There have been reports of this chemical compound being in "Wet ones". This is true (as witnessed in Coles) -- BUT, there is no mention of percentage of this compound in them. HOWEVER, I have discovered in the kitchen cleaning stuff "department" at Woolworths , that the kitchen wipes (in unfortunately awkwardly sized containers) do have this compound listed as the ACTIVE INGREDIENT and the volume of it is also listed @ 0.47%. I think that these wipes plus the foam would make for excellent defences when combined for different activities/purposes.

 

Barry

[room010]

I called Cathy in Adelaide and ordered several 50ml bottles with my credit card which arrived a couple of days later. Great service! She is well aware that she's a bit of a "star" here at CC and is very happy to help. The reason the product isn't more widely available retail is that she hasn't been able to persuade the large chemist wholesalers to stock it. If enough people ask Coles, Woollies, big chemist chains to stock it, maybe that will change.

 

Oh, and under our packaging legislation they are not allowed to claim the product is effective against noro although the active antibacterial/antiviral ingredient does do the job.

[happyaussies]

HI, I live in Adelaide where it is made. today i rang the lady Cathy who runs the business. it is in a few shops over here i believe i haven"t seen it yet but had a great talk to her about it and how it has appeared on these message boards. You could ring her on 08-83272220 and hopefully we put you in the right direction. Also she could post pack some off to you. regards zanny

 

Zanny Please email me. I'd like to know where here in Adelaide I can buy in which shops!

Bubbs

:D

[joejoe 59]

Great to know there is something that kills noro virus. I wonder how much it would cost to be sent to Qld, will have to look into it.:)

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

Great to know there is something that kills noro virus. I wonder how much it would cost to be sent to Qld, will have to look into it.:)

 

I purchased 4 x 50ml to QLD and the total cost including postage was $23.89 EXPRESS POST.

 

Very happy. :)

 

Jilly:)

[bazzaw]

great thread. Thanks

 

I have never been on a cruise before, but see on these forums the huge amounts of people that discuss hand sanitisers, cleaning door handles, remote controls etc.

 

Now I am curious, why is it that this is such an issue on cruise ships, but not in hotel rooms, on shopping centre elevators etc?

 

I am just wondering why this seems to be such a big issue on cruise ships.

 

Having said all that, although I have travelled expensively and never bothered with cleaning everything wherever I go, I wont be taking any chances, and will be taking some hand sanitiser with me on my first cruise next month

 

My "theory" is that norovirus is most prevalent in places where vomiting is happening. eg old people's homes and cruiseships!! People always seem to home in on the faeces side of things -- but vomiting on cruiseships happens a lot.

 

Barry

[Aus Traveller]

My "theory" is that norovirus is most prevalent in places where vomiting is happening. eg old people's homes and cruiseships!! People always seem to home in on the faeces side of things -- but vomiting on cruiseships happens a lot.

 

Barry

 

Sorry to not agree totally. :D

 

You mention that vomiting is prevalent on cruiseships, so I presume you mean that it is caused by seasickness. If that is the case, the person cannot pass on Noro unless they have it, and it is probably unlikely that they would have both noro and seasickness at the same time. Similarly, I don't think there is an inordinate amount of vomiting in old peoples' homes.

 

I do agree that noro is passed on by vomiting, but only to people within a couple of metres range. This doesn't remain on stair rails and lift buttons. Germs left there can only come from unwashed hands .......

[avalon007]

I think that maybe people on cruises who vomit put it down to sea sickness which is logically the first thing you would think of as the cause when at sea. Then they then spread the virus far & wide before they recognise it is actually Noro & get quarantined.

 

NSW state health fact sheet says it is spread in the following ways & interesting to note the time some people remain infectious, almost impossible to keep it under control unless the ship quarantines people for what in most cases would be the whole cruise!

 

Noroviruses are highly infectious and are spread from the vomit or stool (faeces) of an infected person through:

 

• direct contact with vomit or stool of an infected person
  
• person-to-person contact, for example shaking hands with someone who has been sick and has the virus on their hands
  
• contaminated objects
  
• contaminated food or drink -oysters and other shellfish can sometimes become contaminated with norovirus from dirty water
  
• airborne particles when people vomit.
  

People are usually infectious from the start of their symptoms until at least two days after the symptoms stop, but some people may remain infectious for up to two weeks after they have recovered. Good hygiene standards, including frequent hand washing, are very important during this period.

[GandM-nq]

My "theory" is that norovirus is most prevalent in places where vomiting is happening. eg old people's homes and cruiseships!! People always seem to home in on the faeces side of things -- but vomiting on cruiseships happens a lot.

 

Barry

 

With the 2 ways of passing on of Noro you can not have one (vomit) without the other (faeces). Whilst you are a carrier of the virus for up to 3 weeks, only 2 days of that period of infection are when you are 'sick' and vommiting. I would suggest people can see vomitus and avoid it + with immediate sanitisation of the area, the threat of infection from that source point is eliminated.

 

What people don't see is the noro that an infected person has spread throughout because of their unhygenic toileting practices (no/improper washing of hands thoroughly after).

[bazzaw]

Sorry to not agree totally. :D

 

You mention that vomiting is prevalent on cruiseships, so I presume you mean that it is caused by seasickness. If that is the case, the person cannot pass on Noro unless they have it, and it is probably unlikely that they would have both noro and seasickness at the same time. Similarly, I don't think there is an inordinate amount of vomiting in old peoples' homes.

 

I do agree that Noro is passed on by vomiting, but only to people within a couple of metres range. This doesn't remain on stair rails and lift buttons. Germs left there can only come from unwashed hands .......

 

Well - we know that people can have Noro without being sick themselves ( eg they are past the time of sickness) .. But while carrying Noro, IF they are seasick and vomit, then the Noro virus is sent out into our World? And it is common for Noro outbreaks to occur shortly after a cruise starts, exactly the time when many people are prone to seasickness. :) Only a "theory" and it matters not whether the theory is right or wrong.

 

My lesson learned - is that I MUST always , while on a ship, wash my hands (somehow or other) IMMEDIATELY before I put my hands anywhere near my mouth. Yesterday we went to a Chinese Restaurant for lunch -- drove to friend's house, had a beer in his outdoor area, drove in his car to the restaurant, went to a shop there and bought some stuff - then went into the restaurant, sat down and started eating !!! No problem here -- but I think it is a NO-NO on ships!!! Must carry some of these wipes that have this compound benzalkonium chloride in them. Interesting report here http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22897744 -- but it really only says that BAC shows "promise" (last sentence)

 

Barry

[tangogulf]

Reports on one of our roll call threads where one of our group is currently on Voyager - posted today that Noro is still alive and kicking on the ship. All meals in the Buffet are being served by ship staff, no help yourself. Cleaning regimen obviously also still going on.

[rugbypopsie]

I notice that the only sanitiser product that is effective for noro is available on the web...I have tried ordering it for my next cruise at my local Blooms but if they dont get it in I will just order it online. The product is called Hands First.

 

Sue

[avalon007]

I notice that the only sanitiser product that is effective for noro is available on the web...I have tried ordering it for my next cruise at my local Blooms but if they dont get it in I will just order it online. The product is called Hands First.

 

Sue

 

 

Hi Sue,

 

Actually this thread was started to let people know about the product.:)

Many of us have already ordered by phone or email with success, so if you can't get it at Blooms then ordering it direct is quick & reliable.

 

Here is my opening post:

 

Hi,

 

With recent outbreaks of Norovirus on cruise ships visiting Australia making news & being discussed here on the CC forums, I decided to do some extra research into what hand sanitiser products available here in Australia will kill Noro Virus.

 

From my understanding & my internet research in the past most alcohol based sanitisers don't kill Noro Virus & you need to find a product that contains Benzalkonium Chloride.

 

I found an Australia company that is actually producing a hand santiser called Hands First with this ingredient & it also has the benefits of not drying your hands like the Alcohol based products.

 

]I rang & spoke with them & the reason they developed this product was because they are cruisers like us & couldn't find a product that didn't dry out their hands etc.

 

I have no affiliation with this company at all, just thought I would pass on this info as you can only buy it via their website & at a few Blooms chemists so it's easy to not be aware of.

 

Plus I like to buy Australian made when I can. :)

[rugbypopsie]

Thank you for posting the original information, I was not aware I could order it directly online hence my post in case others had missed that too:)

 

Sue

[LoveCruisingCC]

Reports on one of our roll call threads where one of our group is currently on Voyager - posted today that Noro is still alive and kicking on the ship. All meals in the Buffet are being served by ship staff, no help yourself. Cleaning regimen obviously also still going on.

 

Which roll call thread is it? Someone on my roll call list got a reply from RCI saying that as of last Friday, there was no cases of Noro. I think RCI should read and respond.

 

BTW, I bought 2 small (50 ml) and 1 big Hands First for $20 including postage to Sydney. Reference for anyone who may be interested.

[rugbypopsie]

Which roll call thread is it? Someone on my roll call list got a reply from RCI saying that as of last Friday, there was no cases of Noro. I think RCI should read and respond.

 

BTW, I bought 2 small (50 ml) and 1 big Hands First for $20 including postage to Sydney. Reference for anyone who may be interested.

 

Was that directly from their website? It seems very reasonable.

 

Sue

[LoveCruisingCC]

I called them directly, they suggested 2 small and 1 big bottles would fit into the 500g prepaid sachet.

[avalon007]

Hi,

 

I just heard from Cathy at Hands First that they now have 2 chemists who are stocking the product from next week specificially for cruisers.

 

They are:

 

SYDNEY

Soul Pattinson Chemist. 160 Pitt St; Sydney (near Strand Arcade)

BRISBANE

T & G Corner Day & Night Pharmacy. 141 Queen Street Mall.

Julie :)

[tangogulf]

Which roll call thread is it? Someone on my roll call list got a reply from RCI saying that as of last Friday, there was no cases of Noro. I think RCI should read and respond.

 

BTW, I bought 2 small (50 ml) and 1 big Hands First for $20 including postage to Sydney. Reference for anyone who may be interested.

 

From here........

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=36378848

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[NSWP]

Maybe it is time with all these on board hygeine issues, the cruiselines issue each pax with a bottle of this sanitiser as they walk up the gangway, just as they get their photo taken.

[Aus Traveller]

Maybe it is time with all these on board hygeine issues, the cruiselines issue each pax with a bottle of this sanitiser as they walk up the gangway, just as they get their photo taken.

But, would they use it??? Now there is hand sanitiser at the entrance to the dining room and the buffet, but people still get sick.

[LoveCruisingCC]

Hi,

 

I just heard from Cathy at Hands First that they now have 2 chemists who are stocking the product from next week specificially for cruisers.

 

They are:

 

SYDNEY

Soul Pattinson Chemist. 160 Pitt St; Sydney (near Strand Arcade)

BRISBANE

T & G Corner Day & Night Pharmacy. 141 Queen Street Mall.

Julie :)

 

great news, I work near Pitt St Mall, will definitely check it out. I have carried those gel based one in my handbag for a number of years; if Hands First is more available, I can see myself switching over completely.

[cassamanda]

But, would they use it??? Now there is hand sanitiser at the entrance to the dining room and the buffet, but people still get sick.

That hand sanitiser will do nothing to control Noro as it is alcohol based for Bacterial infections.

Check out the links on this post by Barry on one of the other threads, has a good description of how Noro is spread.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=36375441&postcount=8

[Aus Traveller]

That hand sanitiser will do nothing to control Noro as it is alcohol based for Bacterial infections.

Check out the links on this post by Barry on one of the other threads, has a good description of how Noro is spread.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=36375441&postcount=8

 

I realise how noro is spread, and have been debating with Barry on his suggestion that it is mainly spread by people vomiting. I don't believe so.

 

The point I was making on this subject is that even if the ship gave everyone a container of sanitiser (this brand or any other), many people wouldn't use it.

[LoveCruisingCC]

I just went to the Soul Pattinson Chemist at Pitt St Mall Sydney and bought 2 more small bottles of Hands First at $2.95. They are selling the large one for $4.95.

I am not associated with Hands First nor Soul Pattinson, I only found out about Hands First in this forum. As I have 2 little kids and the fact that Voyager does not seem to be able to get rid of Noro, I pay extra care and precaution.

For those who don't live in Sydney. This chemist is about 10-15 mins walk from Circular Quay where most of the bigger ships will sail from. Once you find Pitt St at the Circular Quay end, keep walking straight until you reach the pedestrian mall, the chemist is about the 6th shop on your left. It is opens 7 days a week (except public holidays I guess) , not sure about the hours though.