Norovirus question

[CLEMM]

Hi all! Is the medicine that a ship's doctor would prescribe for Norovirus something that could be prescribed by a family doctor prior to travelling? I'm just wondering if you could avoid the shipboard med center in case of an outbreak by having your own doctor prescibe them ahead of time and you could just bring them with you. What do they normallly give you?

[chessbriar]

Are you planning on getting Noro? The occurance rates are so low, I wouldn't worry about it. Why spend the time and money for something you are unlikely to contract.

 

Are you planning on self treating yourself in the event you come down with it and not quarantining yourself. If you are, that's not nice to do to the other guests you will infect.

[cechase]

To the OP: There are ways to avoid Noro. First, get a bottle of purrel. a hand sanitizer that is effective while you are in an airport, an airplane or any public place, and also very useful when in port and contemplating eating ashore.

 

When you board your ship make sure that you use the hand sanitizer globes religiously, and you will find them through out the ship. On our Infinity cruise in September, there were literally everywhere, in the buffet, at the enterances to the dining room, in the computer room, anywhere that people might touch things.

 

Finally, but not the least, when you use yours or any public restroom on the ship, make certain that you wash your hands.

[greeneg]

The answer to your question is yes, it is well within the competence of the ships Medical Department to treat Norovirus cases. They would have significant experience with it ( since it is not a rare occurance on cruises or other similar situations where there is a confined population of susceptable individuals) and would certainly be expected to be familiar with the usual treatment of the illness.

 

Having said that, Rick is quite correct in saying that the likelihood of contracting the illness is small on a statistical basis and if you follow Charlie's suggestions, you hopefully will avoid the problem.

 

Bottom line: keep you hands clean at all times, carry hand sanitizer and use it frequently.

 

By the way, the usual treatment for norovirus is pretty much symptomatic and allowing it to run its course, which it usually does unless there are complicating factors.

 

Hope that helps.

[poohtaz]

Yes, your doctor can give you something to take that would ease the vomiting and nausea, the other adverse effect you will not want to stop, it needs to leave your body. Someone mentioned by leaving your room you will infect others, thats very probable, but if you are sick you wanting and being able to leave your room isn't likely. The only reason I would bring it with to self treat would be to one, not get charged for the visit to the ship's doctor, and two if there were a very large outbreak, do they have enough on board meds to treat all the people who contract it.

Just my view.

[RLM77]

I concur with all of the above with three further suggestions.

 

1) Do not touch your face unless you are certain your hands are impeccably clean. This includes rubbing your eyes.

 

2) Immodium and Pepto Bismal can be a very welcome addtion to your travel medicine collection.

 

3) Have a blast!:D

[poohtaz]

Yes, your doctor can give you something to take that would ease the vomiting and nausea, the other adverse effect you will not want to stop, it needs to leave your body. Someone mentioned by leaving your room you will infect others, thats very probable, but if you are sick you wanting and being able to leave your room isn't likely. The only reason I would bring it with to self treat would be to one, not get charged for the visit to the ship's doctor, and two if there were a very large outbreak, do they have enough on board meds to treat all the people who contract it.

Just my view.

[stanjj111]

Bring something with you. Take it if you feel sick. Stay in your room in order to avoid contaminting others. Do not go to the doctor as they will put you in quarantine. If you feel better in several days and want to go back to the dr. they will not see you and keep you in your cabin for 3 days. Your partner is required to stay for 1 day in the cabin, but they do not check the partner so he/she can contaminate others. Learned from experience.

[Lsimon]

On our last cruise, Celebrity made it a point that they don't charge for ship doctor visits to treat norovirus or similar symptoms.

 

I believe I've seen that posted in other threads here.

 

Anyone have any other experience or hear anything contrary lately?

[stanjj111]

They do not charge for this type of illness. However, they will not re-evaluate you.

[greeneg]

I find it hard to believe that any responsible physician who was "on duty" would refuse to re-evaluate a patient who legitimately needed re-evaluation. Or, that such would be a company policy.

 

Are you speaking from personal experience? If so, could you share some of the details?

[cechase]

I find it hard to believe that any responsible physician who was "on duty" would refuse to re-evaluate a patient who legitimately needed re-evaluation. Or, that such would be a company policy.

 

Are you speaking from personal experience? If so, could you share some of the details?

 

Ed, that certainly was not our experience on our very first Celebrity cruise on Mercury. My DW on our second day of the cruise had a fever of 102-103 degrees and her first examination was extremely thorough, and we felt that the European Doctor was very compentent. She was given medication to take and told to get bed rest. We were called several days later to the Medical Center for a reevaluation and to see how the medication was working. It was sort of a lousy first cruise for her, however, she made the best of it, with the help of some very wonderful staff on the vessel.

 

See you are going to the Mexican Riveria on Mercury. We did the 11 night cruise last January on her, and absolutely loved it.

[deec]

Noroviruses. There are many different strains of noroviruses, including Norwalk virus, that all cause similar symptoms. Children and adults are most likely to be affected. Noroviruses are responsible for more than 90 percent of viral gastroenteritis outbreaks in the United States each year. Norovirus infection can sweep through families and communities, leaving everyone it infects seriously ill. It's especially likely to spread among people in confined spaces. In addition to diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, you may experience muscle aches, headache, fatigue and low-grade fever. In most cases you pick up the virus from contaminated food or water, although person-to-person transmission also is possible. After exposure to the virus, you're likely to feel sick within 18 to 72 hours. Most people feel better in a day or two, but you're still contagious for at least three days — and up to three weeks — after you've recovered.

this info is from Mayo clinic web site

wash your hands!

[chessbriar]

Children and adults are most likely to be affected.

 

I love this line. I guess the dead are not affected.

[stanjj111]

Wife quarantined for 3 days on the connie in 2005. I was in the room for 1 day. They let me out of the room after 1 day without checking to see if I was ill. My wife felt better after 2 days and wanted to go to the dr. for a review of her case and he refused!

[deec]

just curious...how to they keep you in your room?

[UB & AS]

While at my doctor's this week I asked if he could give me anything to take to prevent and/or treat the virus. He said that there is nothing other than keeping your hands clean and if you get sick, stay in bed.

[stanjj111]

Actually when my wife tried to leave the ship on the 3rd day because she felt better when her card was inserted into the machine it was flagged.

We had a balcony so she spent most of the time there.

I had several phone calls to corporate during the cruise (total of 2 hrs) because X did not follow their own rules regarding quarantines.

FYI they are supposed to give you a letter indicating your options that include leaving the ship at the next port. They will pay 1 nights hotel, and airfare but they will notify the local authorities that you are sick so I do not know how this operates.

They are supposed to give you credit for the days in quarantine which appears to be a well kept secret.

Initally they refused to give us copies of our medical records when we asked so I also believe that they do not report all cases of the virus to the CDC.

[Hlitner]

I am going to take an unpopular position and come down in favor of the cruise line regarding Norovirus. When there is food poisoning on-board a ship, it is a cruise line problem and there should be adequate compensation. However, Norovirus is a very common virus (its everywhere on land) and generally it is brought on-board by a sick passenger. It is suspected that many cases are contracted on airplanes, but that is impossible to prove. So, a passenger comes aboard already infected (either sick or in the incubation period) and it quickly spreads throughout the ship. There is little the cruise line can do to prevent this other than keep the ship as clean as possible. But even this will not stop the spread because you can't clean everything every minute. So, passengers get sick, the cruise line quarrentines them to try and stop the spread, and we expect compensation from the cruise line? Why? In fact, perhaps the cruise line should demand compensation from any passenger coming on-board who is ill, and refuses to disclose this fact. We have seen the usual forms where they ask you to check a box if you are sick, and of course even sick folks generally lie on these forms because they want to get on the ship. And that same passenger will than "demand compensation" when they are sick on the cruise? Is there something wrong with this picture/

 

Hank

[rjg41]

......I had several phone calls to corporate during the cruise (total of 2 hrs) because X did not follow their own rules regarding quarantines.

FYI they are supposed to give you a letter indicating your options that include leaving the ship at the next port. They will pay 1 nights hotel, and airfare but they will notify the local authorities that you are sick so I do not know how this operates.

They are supposed to give you credit for the days in quarantine which appears to be a well kept secret.

Initally they refused to give us copies of our medical records when we asked so I also believe that they do not report all cases of the virus to the CDC.

 

Sorry, but I'd love to see the "their own rules" in writing and that it includes typical noro cases. Personally, I don't believe it for an illness that they have little to do with causing.

 

Now as to the policy I do know is true. Should you contact noro and observe the quarantine they impose on you, your medical treatment is free. Further, they have all the right medications on board. While a different cruise line, I got noro on board recently and was feeling pretty bad. Part of the treatment consisted of a shot which made me feel quite a bit better within hours.

 

.....and I love your earlier advise to take your own medication along so they can't quarantine you.....and you decide when you are no longer contagious.......so you can walk around the ship while you might still be highly contagious and get others sick. It's "great", "smart" advise like that that makes the problem worse.

By the way, you are likely still contagious for 24 hours after all symptoms go away.

[stanjj111]

If the doctor will not see you again to evaluate your condition then imho you need to take care of yourself. X did not enforce the policy regarding having children in diapers in their pool

 

Part of letter sent to me from X shown below.

 

"Guests who agree to isolation on board our ship will be compensated for the time they are isolated?

[stanjj111]

Letter was in Tiff form so I mistyped the last ?. when I copied the sentence It should be ".

[CLEMM]

Chessbriar, chill out. I was merely trying to find out what someone could take to alleviate symptoms WITHOUT having to venture out of the cabin to infect others. I am not planning on getting the illness, but I don't see the harm in being prepared. No need to be so accusatory!

[rjg41]

"Guests who agree to isolation on board our ship will be compensated for the time they are isolated?

 

That's a long way from your previous contention: "They are supposed to give you credit for the days in quarantine which appears to be a well kept secret."

 

The "compennsation" could consist of the free medical care or something else minor.

[stanjj111]

Read. It is the time that you are in isolation.