Diamond Princess passenger "tested positive for Wuhan coronavirus"

[Alcairns]

Princess have done the right thing on every aspect of this unprecedented incident. Well done to the Princess team!

[matadams4u]

1 hour ago, Kmkub said:

Good for Princess. This is a very generous way to say, "we know it sucks to be you right now. We appreciate it."

As a shareholder and loyal customer I am very pleased with how Princess is addressing the crew.  The release and terms were very nicely thought out.

[kathy49]

13 minutes ago, Farts said:

My heart goes out to the 4 in crit condition possibly on the vent. 

 

I do wonder how many ppl on the ship got the flu shot this year and if it has any protective benefits for Covid19. That's for the epidemiologists to figure out though. Appreciate their smarts and brains.

and also pneumonia immunization important...these viruses all seem to head for the lungs and pneumonia is often the complication most deadly for the elderly.

[LizNeedsAVacation]

54 minutes ago, kathy49 said:

this pertains to communication in all forms....on the walk video some were talking on their phones and there was mention that they could not get proper signals in their cabins...maybe inside.  People simply have to be able to communicate.  I do think that virtually everyone is on the internet which probably never happens at other times on a ship...but wondering what happened between a few days ago and now....actually there are 179+ less people using it.

Just my guess but I suspect they tried to upgrade the system (per comments made by David Abel) and made it worse in the attempt. Or people that were fine to sit back and read books before are now streaming nonstop because as this goes on and on they need more communication.

[LizNeedsAVacation]

38 minutes ago, Farts said:

This is very true. And it is frustrating. 

I was really sick in high school and crying to my teacher that no one had an answer. She said “they wouldn’t call it practicing medicine if they had all the answers already”

[NorthwestCruiser]

 "What happens in China and their hospitals does not necessarily represent "our" cruising world"

 

Let's not fool ourselves.   The hospitals in Wuhan are (were) excellent and on par with anything in the United States, except probably newer than most.   China hasn't just been sitting on all of the money that they have been making from world trade, and if you think that Chinese people are not just as smart, dedicated, and just as likely to be good doctors as people in any other country, well I don't know what to say.    I'd like to see the state of Washington employees try to build a working hospital in 10 days...

 

  I suspect that (and this is opinion) that having been burned by SARS and having spent a ton of money investing in infrastructure to detect SARS-like cases, we hear more about cases in China and Hong Kong because they have the ability to detect cases.   I think the first kits to detect this stuff in the US were sent to state offices just a few days ago, before every suspect sample had to be sent back to the CDC.

[hal2008]

2 hours ago, Kmkub said:

Good for Princess. This is a very generous way to say, "we know it sucks to be you right now. We appreciate it."

 

While that is better than nothing. I will not go on limb to call it "generous".

It is pittance given how little they get in base salary anyway.

 

They were forced to work as biohazard workers. A lot of them privately sent video to their families (which was circulated in their respective countries) showing how little choice those poor souls have.

 

Two months is VERY cheap on part of Princess.

 

Might be ok for staff who never have to face any pax (engine room operator for example)

 

For the staff that actually had to deliver or have any contact with passengers, should get more like TWO YEARS.

 

On land, these workers would have simply not shown up for work but since cruise industry treats its workers as indentured laborers, it gets away with so much.

 

PAY THEM MORE, Princess. (Carnival)

Edited February 12, 2020 by hal2008

[hal2008]

3 minutes ago, NorthwestCruiser said:

 "What happens in China and their hospitals does not necessarily represent "our" cruising world"

 

Let's not fool ourselves.   The hospitals in Wuhan are (were) excellent and on par with anything in the United States, except probably newer than most.   China hasn't just been sitting on all of the money that they have been making from world trade, and if you think that Chinese people are not just as smart, dedicated, and just as likely to be good doctors as people in any other country, well I don't know what to say.    I'd like to see the state of Washington employees try to build a working hospital in 10 days...

 

  I suspect that (and this is opinion) that having been burned by SARS and having spent a ton of money investing in infrastructure to detect SARS-like cases, we hear more about cases in China and Hong Kong because they have the ability to detect cases.   I think the first kits to detect this stuff in the US were sent to state offices just a few days ago, before every suspect sample had to be sent back to the CDC.

 

Right on monety about China's progress.

 

While it is true that rural china is not on par with our equivalents,

most of the middle cities are way ahead of ours.(thats 60 pct of their population)

And big cities are either ahead, on par or slightly below ours depending on category being discussed.

 

Lets face it, China IS  a super power.

Edited February 12, 2020 by hal2008

[kathy49]

10 minutes ago, LizNeedsAVacation said:

Just my guess but I suspect they tried to upgrade the system (per comments made by David Abel) and made it worse in the attempt. Or people that were fine to sit back and read books before are now streaming nonstop because as this goes on and on they need more communication.

you know good point...it was just about at that time that things fell apart.

[Host CJSKIDS]

On 2/10/2020 at 11:08 AM, oskidunker said:

Why is Davids AC suddenly a problem? Have been on long cruises and never had this problem. I hope they are not getting the virus. I always set the AC atbthe coldest setting at night, otherwise it was too hot. Something else is going on. 

 

 

It may simply be because he is out and about getting fresh air throughout the day.   

 

As someone who has the AC running every day yearly and can have issues with breathing, having humidity control is very important.  It's very cold in Japan so they are not spending much time outside.  Since they have started leaving the door open at night as well as having a wet towel by the AC vent.

I personally have had issues after being stuck in my hotel room at Disney for 3 days due to food poisoning and having their AC blowing on me constantly.  Yep, developed a serious cough!

 

Hopefully it is nothing more than that and they are simply suffering a small side effect of the very unfortunate situation they find themselves in. 

[Psoque]

4 hours ago, Kmkub said:

A quarantine for the good of the entire planet. 

Thanks for correcting a rather xenophobic comment.

I'm sure many of you understanding how quarantine works, but...

 

The purpose of the quarantine is to protect the outside world from the pathogen.  That's the primary goal of quarantine. Technically, there's no intended benefit to the person inside the quarantine.

 

In the case of Diamond Princess, there is the primary quarantine (which is the whole ship), and secondary semi-quarantine where occupants of every cabin are (the best they can) quarantined from occupants from every other cabin on the ship.  The crew are not as protected.

 

[Farts]

17 minutes ago, LizNeedsAVacation said:

I was really sick in high school and crying to my teacher that no one had an answer. She said “they wouldn’t call it practicing medicine if they had all the answers already”

lol

 

[Host CJSKIDS]

1 hour ago, voljeep said:

crew bar ?

 

what does Princess cover for the crew, and what charges onboard does the crew have to pay ?

 

I have no clue how that works, obviously ...

 

 

If you watch Princess' videos you will see the they have said that internet and phone are free for both passengers and crew so there won't be any charges there.

 

I'd be shocked if the crew bar was still open.  

[perditax]

12 minutes ago, NorthwestCruiser said:

I suspect that (and this is opinion) that having been burned by SARS and having spent a ton of money investing in infrastructure to detect SARS-like cases, we hear more about cases in China and Hong Kong because they have the ability to detect cases.

 

I also tend to blow off the 'OMG CHINA IS UNDERREPORTING' stuff, and the panic when they were building the emergency hospitals, for the same reason. (They don't want to look bad again after SARS.)

[voljeep]

thanks Host … I was just wondering also about "normal" cruises … 

[kathy49]

sort of follow up to my previous thoughts on the more or less lax quarantine conditions at first vs now and how that could have had an impact on the numbers coming down with virus now....this twitter from passenger https://twitter.com/quarantinedond1 indicating the lack of protection the original people that came around to test them.  Somehow I don't think Japan had any idea it would ever go this far...

[Stateroom_Sailor]

41 minutes ago, Farts said:

I do wonder how many ppl on the ship got the flu shot this year and if it has any protective benefits for Covid19. That's for the epidemiologists to figure out though. Appreciate their smarts and brains.

 

Flu shot only protects you from influenza strains pre-selected, determined most likely to outbreak in an upcoming season.  Coronavirus is much closer to the common cold.  I'm leaning on no, but defer to those with medical degrees. 

[Farts]

5 minutes ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

 

Flu shot only protects you from influenza strains pre-selected, determined most likely to outbreak in an upcoming season.  Coronavirus is much closer to the common cold.  I'm leaning on no, but defer to those with medical degrees. 

Maybe.

 

Some times the data may suggest something else. All this stuff cannot be known until after someone digs through the data after everything is said and done. 

[LDVinNC]

3 minutes ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

 

Flu shot only protects you from influenza strains pre-selected, determined most likely to outbreak in an upcoming season.  Coronavirus is much closer to the common cold.  I'm leaning on no, but defer to those with medical degrees. 

Right.  My daughter and granddaughter, both of whom had flu shots, came down with the flu.  A different strain that what was in the vaccine this year, according to the doctor.

[Kmkub]

11 minutes ago, Fido Chuckwagon said:

 

I don’t know, the situation is kind of unprecedented right now.  Under normal circumstances a crew member could just quit if they didn’t like the work they were being asked to do.  None of these crew members can just quit and go home.  They’re certainly entitled to something above and beyond their normal pay.  I don’t know what that is, but I agree it is substantial.  

They can't exactly quit while at sea, either, no matter how much they hate the job. Nobody can leave the ship. Even if the captain wanted to let these people leave, he cannot. I'm sure the captain isn't thrilled to be in this situation, either.

 

Princess is giving them two months pay, an airplane ticket to anywhere in the world and comping all their on board charges for this cruise and during the quarantine. They don't have to do any of that. This isn't their fault.

 

 

[Kmkub]

10 minutes ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

 

Oops.  I assumed that Japan was trying to protect their citizens from outbreak, right or wrong, we have no objective proof.  If you see evil intentions with such a motive, you might be the one xenophobic. 

 

In cases of infectious diseases, what's good for one country is good for the whole planet.  If Japan had let these people leave, I expect most countries would have refused to let planes coming from Japan land.

 

Why take the risk? One really sick person gives it to two people who give it to two people and it gets exponentially worse from there.

[kathy49]

26 minutes ago, LDVinNC said:

Right.  My daughter and granddaughter, both of whom had flu shots, came down with the flu.  A different strain that what was in the vaccine this year, according to the doctor.

yep those flu shots this year really missed the mark...and the one that hit was ugly

[kathy49]

17 minutes ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

 

Oops.  I assumed that Japan was trying to protect their citizens from outbreak, right or wrong, we have no objective proof.  If you see evil intentions with such a motive, you might be the one xenophobic. 

 

i would hope my government would do the same vis a vis the citizens.

[kathy49]

15 minutes ago, Kmkub said:

I'm also confused by that comment. The people being quarantined have no vote on the quarantine. This entire thing is nobody's fault, really.

 

How to care for passengers:

1. Let the PAX starve (not an option)

2. Let the PAX wander around the kitchens and make their own food (not an option)

3. Crew has to do it.

 

Nobody on shore was prepared on day one to prepare 10K meals every day. Maybe they are working on it, but the logistics to get that done isn't something that happens in a few hours.

 

I'm not clear what option people think would have been a better solution than the crew prepping and delivering food.

 

 

 

 

outside catering but I realize that takes time to organize.

[kathy49]

5 minutes ago, Kmkub said:

In cases of infectious diseases, what's good for one country is good for the whole planet.  If Japan had let these people leave, I expect most countries would have refused to let planes coming from Japan land.

 

Why take the risk? One really sick person gives it to two people who give it to two people and it gets exponentially worse from there.

i just hope plans are in the works to test each and every one that leaves the ship...they will be disbursing all over the world and are coming from the second largest concentration of reported cases. This cannot happen without definitive testing.