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Diamond Princess passenger "tested positive for Wuhan coronavirus"


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8 minutes ago, Pam said:

Are there less airplane seats than US passengers?  If so, what will happen to the ones not evacuated?

Reports are saying room for up to 400 US citizens and there are less then that on ship and some stay they will stay on ship 

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11 minutes ago, dog said:

Reports are saying room for up to 400 US citizens and there are less then that on ship and some stay they will stay on ship 

 

Anyone showing symptoms will not be allowed on the flight.  So there should be room for all who want to go.  I doubt if many folks will decide to stay on the ship.

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5 minutes ago, LoriPhil said:

I’m curious why some would elect to stay on the ship rather than head home on the flight, since it appears there is no way to avoid additional quarantine time.  

From passenger twitter---in cabin they stay away from others rather then be on a bus, plane with others------testing is not identifying everyone who is positive

-scared of unknown---

-2 week quarantine in US-not knowing conditions of where they will be/stay on ship they thought they'd be off Feb 19th---this has changed

 

These are not my ideas, but what passengers have said

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Perhaps, this article can do a little bit of explaining.  From CBC News today Feb 15, 2020.   You will note that the daughter goes on to say that the couple had a fever and a cough for several days prior to contacting the medical centre.  But of course, during that time period, their dishes, towels, etc. would have been taken away from the cruise staff, etc.... perhaps spreading germs along the way.   I understand a lot of older people do not want to leave behind a spouse in the event that they become ill, but in these times, one has to think a little ahead of things and perhaps make a compromise.  When one is exhibiting symptoms. playing the waiting game and hoping to get better may not be the most prudent.    I removed the complete names of those involved.   Couple has since been removed from the ship according to CBC news and placed in separate isolation wards in military hospital.    Also, another article shows a picture of the wife in China.

 

75-year-old Quebec couple diagnosed with coronavirus aboard cruise

cbclogo-sm-sharp-175812-jpg_045904.jpg
CBCFebruary 15, 2020

Two Quebecers aboard a cruise ship have tested positive for coronavirus, their daughter confirmed Saturday morning. 

D and B M were among 3,500 people on the Diamond Princess cruise ship. The ship has been docked at a Japanese port amid a COVID-19 quarantine since Feb. 4. 

The elderly couple, both 75, had been dealing with symptoms over the last week, daughter C M, told Radio-Canada Saturday morning. 

After a few days dealing with a fever and cough, they contacted the medical centre where they were tested. 

"The worst symptom was definitely weakness. Over the past two days, they were just sleeping," M said. 

The couple was in their room aboard the ship when they heard a knock on their door. A staff member passed them a letter from the doctor that said they had 30 minutes to pack their belongings and head to a hospital. 

M first heard the news from her parents early Saturday morning. They video chatted with her and the rest of their family around 2:00 a.m. 

"We received the news like a bomb," said M. 

The couple will be treated at a military hospital in Japan, M said. There, they will be placed in separate isolated chambers.

"These are elderly people, 75 years old, at the other end of the planet. They're sick and it's the unknown to them," said Ménard. 

"They don't even know how much time they'll be in the hospital." 

There have been 14 Canadians diagnosed with the virus on the ship so far.

On Saturday morning, 67 new cases were found on the cruise ship, bringing the total to 285 cases out of the 3,500 passengers and crew aboard the ship. 

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I agree with what some people onboard and some on here are saying...going from isolation on the ship to sitting close to potentially infected people on a bus and then a plane does not sound wise! I’d only wanna do that if all were tested before leaving the ship. I still think that would have been the most prudent course of action, to test everyone a week ago. This little groupings at a time system has not been effective IMO. There are still spouses onboard who haven’t been tested after having their loves test positive and sent off to hospitals. I certainly wouldn’t feel comfortable sitting next to someone whose wife or husband was in the hospital infected. They were holed up together for days before one of them was taken to the hospital. I hope that the U.S. and Japan take some time to carefully plot the next few days out, so no foolish decisions are made. 

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19 minutes ago, dog said:

From passenger twitter---in cabin they stay away from others rather then be on a bus, plane with others------testing is not identifying everyone who is positive

-scared of unknown---

-2 week quarantine in US-not knowing conditions of where they will be/stay on ship they thought they'd be off Feb 19th---this has changed

 

These are not my ideas, but what passengers have said

I dare say it sounds like US policy is even if they stay on the ship for 3 more months, they are going to be spending their first 14 days in the USA in a quarantine.  Avoiding a 14 day stay at an air force base is unavoidable, just a matter of when.  

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9 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

That's not going to make them happy little vegemites! I suspect some of them thought they would be going straight home after arriving in the US.

 

But a wise precaution. Taking them off the ship and bundling them all on plane breaks the current quarantine so a second quarantine period is sensible.

 

It says the evacuation to the USA is voluntary.

 

If I was in that situation, I would rather spend three more days on the ship than have to spend 14 more days in quarantine in the USA, still away from home and probably without all the amenities that Princess has provided.

 

I do wonder whose bright idea it was to do this before the ship quarantine ended instead of just after.

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I have to go back to my original thoughts on day one ( just MY thoughts and not based on any medical knowledge). Passengers should have been evacuated and quarantined on land in  their home countries from the start. If they are suddenly able to charter flights to do this now, there is no reason they couldn't have done it 10 days ago (in my opinion). To have made these people stay "confined" on the ship for 11 days only to find out they will face an additional 14 days quarantined once off is just heartbreaking.

 

Please don't flame me for saying this - once again, it's my OPINION. You are welcome to disagree (respectfully) and voice your own opinion.

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4 minutes ago, cruisequeen4ever said:

I agree with what some people onboard and some on here are saying...going from isolation on the ship to sitting close to potentially infected people on a bus and then a plane does not sound wise! I’d only wanna do that if all were tested before leaving the ship. I still think that would have been the most prudent course of action, to test everyone a week ago. This little groupings at a time system has not been effective IMO. There are still spouses onboard who haven’t been tested after having their loves test positive and sent off to hospitals. I certainly wouldn’t feel comfortable sitting next to someone whose wife or husband was in the hospital infected. They were holed up together for days before one of them was taken to the hospital. I hope that the U.S. and Japan take some time to carefully plot the next few days out, so no foolish decisions are made. 

We would not think that either the  Japanese government or our government would allow infected people to board the planes .They must be tested prior to getting on the plane . From what we understand is any US citizen tested positive will be denied boarding the planes

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1 minute ago, mcrcruiser said:

We would not think that either the  Japanese government or our government would allow infected people to board the planes .They must be tested prior to getting on the plane . From what we understand is any US citizen tested positive will be denied boarding the planes

I think the accuracy of testing is a huge concern here, too. Some have tested positive, then negative, then positive. Also, if results are taking 2-3 days then they won't be leaving until after Monday....

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5 hours ago, sppunk said:

Out friends posted they’ll receive test kits starting the 18th so the soonest they can get off is the 21st. They’re quite unhappy they’re just now starting the distribution. 
 

 

 

Doing any testing before the end of the quarantine period would mean they would be tested before the possible existence of the disease can be detected.

 

Only a test at the end of the quarantine period would be meaningful for those who test negative.

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2 hours ago, bluesea321 said:

Attached is the letter from the US Embassy regarding the disembarkation for Americans.

 

 

Alert-20200215-diamond-princess.pdf 281.48 kB · 118 downloads

 

One interesting item in the letter:

 

Should you choose not to return on this charter flight, you will be unable to return to the United
States for a period of time. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will make a final
determination on this matter.

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8 minutes ago, caribill said:

 

Doing any testing before the end of the quarantine period would mean they would be tested before the possible existence of the disease can be detected.

 

Only a test at the end of the quarantine period would be meaningful for those who test negative.

We agree with your statement

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19 minutes ago, caribill said:

 

It says the evacuation to the USA is voluntary.

 

If I was in that situation, I would rather spend three more days on the ship than have to spend 14 more days in quarantine in the USA, still away from home and probably without all the amenities that Princess has provided.

 

I do wonder whose bright idea it was to do this before the ship quarantine ended instead of just after.

It won’t be 3 more days on the ship. Jan Swartz update today says Feb 21 As earliest off now, not Feb 19. 

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22 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

We would not think that either the  Japanese government or our government would allow infected people to board the planes .They must be tested prior to getting on the plane . From what we understand is any US citizen tested positive will be denied boarding the planes

 

The letter only says they will be checked for symptoms, not tested.

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10 minutes ago, caribill said:

 

Doing any testing before the end of the quarantine period would mean they would be tested before the possible existence of the disease can be detected.

 

Only a test at the end of the quarantine period would be meaningful for those who test negative.

Very true  but ,they must have test kits that really are working & accurate

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2 minutes ago, dog said:

It won’t be 3 more days on the ship. Jan Swartz update today says Feb 21 As earliest off now, not Feb 19. 

 

Still better than 14 days quarantine away from home in California or Texas.

 

Guess who will pay to get to their homes after the USA 14 day quarantine period is over. That certainly would not be Princess.

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5 hours ago, ed01106 said:

$1100 is not an unreasonable price for a direct flight from Asia to the USA.  Yes, you can find less expensive flights particularly if you are willing to make connections.  Plus I am pretty sure Princess is picking up the tab anyhow.  Walking. back the promise to pay for the passengers return flight home b/c they thought they would be paying $800 for a commercial flight and it now costa few hundred more would be a PR nightmare.  

 

I agree that Princess will pick up the tab for the charter flights.

 

But those flights do not get the people to their home cities as commercial flights from Japan would have once the quarantine is over.

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