Ebola

[Ladymom30]

Okay so I have been checking daily to see if anyone has posted on this. I remember from previous cruises there were many employees from West Africa. Is RCCL still getting employees from there? Very scary because it wouldn't be hard to pass this around on a ship. Incubation period is up to 21 days.

[Deptacon]

Ebola is extremely hard to spread and contract with the cleanliness of western civilizations.... Dont worry about it

 

 

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[cb at sea]

whoever they've hired, has been on the ship for months, symptom free.

[FLACRUISER99]

whoever they've hired, has been on the ship for months, symptom free.

 

 

I disagree, crew are regularly swapped on and off the ship they cannot all be on the ship for months.

 

 

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[A2Mich]

Ebola is only transferred through bodily fluids from an infected person to another. From what I've read, similar to transmission of the HIV virus. It is not spread by touching buffet utensils, etc.

[BND]

Okay so I have been checking daily to see if anyone has posted on this. I remember from previous cruises there were many employees from West Africa. Is RCCL still getting employees from there? Very scary because it wouldn't be hard to pass this around on a ship. Incubation period is up to 21 days.

 

The contagious period is during the time of symptoms. Someone symptom free cannot pass it because they aren't contagious. You also have to have very close contact with someone to catch it. You don't catch it from the air. You have to actually care for them or have a close personal relationship. The reason this has spread in Africa is because people are caring for their family members and avoiding the hospitals. A few medical professionals have also caught it from their patients. It's very hard to catch.

 

That said, what West African countries have you seen employees from? I don't think I've ever met any from Africa on RCI.

Edited August 14, 2014 by BND

[Deptacon]

I disagree, crew are regularly swapped on and off the ship they cannot all be on the ship for months.

 

 

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Doesnt mean anything.... It doesnt change the fact that is actually pretty hard to spread

 

 

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[time4u2go]

whoever they've hired, has been on the ship for months, symptom free.

 

How can every employee, no matter how new, have been on a ship for months? Do they never hire new employees?

[mbjboyle]

Relax, relax, relax. If you're reading this you have a greater chance at death by falling vending machine than death by haemorrhagic fever (Ebola). If you don't believe me than; 1. you watch too many movies, 2. you believe in world-wide conspiracies, or 3. you need to follow this link to the World Heath Organization's website: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/ebola/en/

[MADflyer]

Not that it is of concern, but since the statement was made, are there that many employees from west Africa onboard?

 

While cruise ships used to be registered in Liberia, I am not familiar with any ship having 'many employees from West Africa.' All cruise ships have withdrawn from Liberian registry.

 

While there are many South Africans with the spa operator Steiner, I have not noticed too many other African nations represented among the crew, except from the island nation of Mauritius.

 

I guess they could be represented in the 'back of house' crew and I have just not personally had contact with them.

[Ladymom30]

My last cruise there were a couple in the windjammer and our room steward. Now the staff works for several months and then they are off contract and switched out. Yes they say it's hard to catch but I read an article today about an African healthcare worker that caught Ebola from doing vitals on an infected patient. I'm sorry, you cannot get HIV from doing weight, blood pressure, and temperature.

[mbjboyle]

Yes they say it's hard to catch but I read an article today about an African healthcare worker that caught Ebola from doing vitals on an infected patient.

 

 

Can you post a link to the article?

 

 

One can contract Ebola from bodily fluids, including saliva and sweat. It is possible for a person to contract Ebola by not practicing proper aseptic techniques around those who are infected. In other words, this healthcare worker may not have been doing something as simple as wearing a mask and gloves. Without any testimony to the facts, however it's difficult to assess the validity of the claim.

Edited August 14, 2014 by mbjboyle

[CP3o]

Doesnt mean anything.... It doesnt change the fact that is actually pretty hard to spread

 

 

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I have heard this but I find it hard to reconcile with the first reports when the american doctor and nurse got it. I saw their suits as precautions and the area they used a clorine solution to spray on their suits. They were SMART and knew the risks and seemed to take every precaution and still got it so I think it IS more difficult than HIV to spread. I actually worried about terrorists (who never seem to mind dying for their cause) exposing themselves on purpose and coming to the US and trying to spread to as many people as they can.

 

I "get" it that it's only thru fluids but it 'is' a little scary to me that medical professionals suited up and taking all known precautions still got the disease. Makes me a tad suspicious about the possibilities for transmitting.

[Ladymom30]

Does this work? https://news.yahoo.com/ebola-survivor-shunned-boyfriend-even-school-171433631.html;_ylt=A0LEVz7VPetTEiQAq3tXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEzOGxnc3NhBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA2JmMQR2dGlkA1ZJUDM0OF8x

[CP3o]

Doesnt mean anything.... It doesnt change the fact that is actually pretty hard to spread

 

 

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Hard to spread b/c it's not airborne? Like norovirus is not airborne and easy to avoid an outbreak when other pax have norovirus onboard?

 

 

http://commonhealth.wbur.org/2014/08/ebola-outbreak-boston-doctor

[sr4mjc]

Can you post a link to the article?

 

 

One can contract Ebola from bodily fluids, including saliva and sweat. It is possible for a person to contract Ebola by not practicing proper aseptic techniques around those who are infected. In other words, this healthcare worker may not have been doing something as simple as wearing a mask and gloves. Without any testimony to the facts, however it's difficult to assess the validity of the claim.

 

and you are right.

 

"Fanta, the Guinean medical student, says she was working as an intern at a clinic in Conakry, the capital, when a patient came in from the provinces sick with what doctors initially thought was malaria. She took the man's vital signs — but as is common in Guinea — she had no protective gloves or face mask."

[iluvcruzin]

Okay so I have been checking daily to see if anyone has posted on this. I remember from previous cruises there were many employees from West Africa. Is RCCL still getting employees from there? Very scary because it wouldn't be hard to pass this around on a ship. Incubation period is up to 21 days.

 

They haven't even brought back all those in the Peace Corps in the area. My son-in-laws brother still isn't back due the lack of planes/flights. Odds are slim this outbreak will have an impact on the staffing onboard.

 

The article also wasn't clear on what he did to contact it. There is more to the story than no gloves and a mask.

 

Honestly thought this was a silly question to ask. There are plenty of other nasty things to catch from other passengers.

[TheMediaman]

I remember from previous cruises there were many employees from West Africa. Is RCCL still getting employees from there?.

 

 

I would hope that the OP's intent of the Ebola question was only that of a health precaution. I'm sure she did not mean to infer any negative opinion about West Africans.

 

May I suggest you "get" things from a store but you employ people and RCCL employs people from many countries.

 

I recommend you ask your family doctor for more information about your health questions. Dr Google can be misleading without qualified interpretation.

[toxicfairy]

Wow I leave in 2 days now I'm a nervous wreck! What if a plane crashes into the cruise ship! Or sharknado happens. Or the plague , or pirates, or a rouge whale who had a bomb taped to his back.

What if rapid rover crashes and kills us on the way....or I go out to get the mail today and get hit by a car....

Relax peoples. We can't plan for everything. Sometimes we just have to wash with soap and water and pray for the best:D

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Wow I leave in 2 days now I'm a nervous wreck! What if a plane crashes into the cruise ship! Or sharknado happens. Or the plague , or pirates, or a rouge whale who had a bomb taped to his back.

What if rapid rover crashes and kills us on the way....or I go out to get the mail today and get hit by a car....

Relax peoples. We can't plan for everything. Sometimes we just have to wash with soap and water and pray for the best:D

 

:) Yep!

 

As I've been known to say, the leading cause of death? Is life.

[Ladymom30]

I meant nothing bad towards anyone. I was just wondering if Royal Caribbean or other cruise lines had stopped hiring employees from that area during this outbreak (as a precaution). I am a healthcare worker, so yes, these things do cross my mind. I have no intentions of wearing gloves, a mask, or a gown on my cruise in September, it was just a question. The way this outbreak is spreading, CDC and WHO are certain it's going to spread. The other things we can catch, like norovirus, are yucky but do not carry a 90% death rate. I work in a hospital so being exposed to most things doesn't bother me. Ebola on the other hand, scares the day lights out of me.

Edited August 14, 2014 by Ladymom30

[lucysmommy1]

our server in the MDR was from south africa this year

 

most of the staff on the Indy were from the Philippines

[FLACRUISER99]

whoever they've hired, has been on the ship for months, symptom free.

I disagree, crew are regularly swapped on and off the ship they cannot all be on the ship for months.

 

Doesnt mean anything.... It doesnt change the fact that is actually pretty hard to spread

 

 

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I was only disputing cb at sea's statement (which made no sense) I did not make any reference in how it is spread!

[leisuretraveler223]

I meant nothing bad towards anyone. I was just wondering if Royal Caribbean or other cruise lines had stopped hiring employees from that area during this outbreak (as a precaution). I am a healthcare worker, so yes, these things do cross my mind. I have no intentions of wearing gloves, a mask, or a gown on my cruise in September, it was just a question. The way this outbreak is spreading, CDC and WHO are certain it's going to spread. The other things we can catch, like norovirus, are yucky but do not carry a 90% death rate. I work in a hospital so being exposed to most things doesn't bother me. Ebola on the other hand, scares the day lights out of me.

 

Just stay home. Lock your screen doors, and hide under your bed. And stop telling people you are a healthcare worker. Even if it's true, statements like "wondering if Royal Caribbean or other cruise lines had stopped hiring employees from that area during this outbreak" make health care workers sound stupid.

[Deptacon]

The over dramatization of some on this thread would be funny if it wasnt that it is scary in itself....

 

Stop watching 24 hour news... Its makes you paranoid

 

 

 

 

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