Norovirus Preventative?

[rjo1220]

Hi!

 

I've used the search function and couldn't find what I was looking for, so I apologize if this has been discussed a thousand times before.

 

DH and I are cruising on the Mariner Thanksgiving week. I think I remember reading somewhere on CC about a preventative vaccine for the Norovirus as well as a prescription your personal physican could prescribe for you in the event you contract the Norovirus while on the ship.

 

I also googled for the information with no luck, so maybe they don't exist.

 

Would someone please be kind enough to post the name of the vaccine and/or the prescription, if they exist?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Jenn

[DrivesLikeMario]

I have never heard of a preventative vaccine. ????

You can take Activia yogurt as a preventative measure, but it's not fool-proof. It'd be wonderful if there was such a thing as a vaccine for this, but as far as I know, there isn't. :confused:

[PennStateForever]

Let me put it this way... I was on Enchantment of the Seas from last Thursday to yesterday. Upon entering my cabin on Thursday I made this comment to my mother and father:

 

"You know, I bet when people get on cruise ships, most of them don't put 'wiping down the entire cabin with Clorox wipes' as the very first thing to do."

 

And that's what we did. My aunt bought us a carton of Clorox wipes and we wiped down our entire cabain with them (the ones that say "Kills the flu virus!" on the carton).

 

My mother and aunt are just really scaredy-cat about those kinda things.

 

But hey, we didn't get Noro.

 

While it may seem kinda.... grossly-overreactant to you, but I do suggest wiping down the cabin with the wipes just in case. The cabins aren't big, so it shouldn't take too long. It took us less than 15 minutes and the 3 of us were in a 354 sq. ft. cabin (Disability Cabin for my father). I figure the regular cabins wouldn't take more than 10 minutes.

 

And also buy every personal hand-sanitizer tubes, the kind that are spray on. We used that all cruise after using tongs at Windjammer (which we were told is a major way of getting Noro, since so many people use the tongs, obviously) and such and it wasn't hard to remember or do at all.

 

There's no Noro vaccine, sooooooo.... It's just all about being careful. I mean, I guess as long as you don't lick the tong handles or suck crumbs off of the tables in your cabin you'll be good. LOL

 

But at least get some hand-sanitizer in the spray tubes (or one of those bigger pump containers [like a soap dispenser] for the room) and use it judiciously.

 

We were fine. Didn't hear of any Noro on the ship, either.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

I would add to Penn State Forever's advice that the Clorox wipes must be used every single day in the cabin because as you go out in the ship and touch things such as elevator buttons and stair rails, even salt and pepper shakers in the dining room, you can be bringing viruses and germs back to your cabin.

 

The travel expert on NBC Today says one of the dirtiest things in a hotel room is the remote control. Telephones are another. Door knobs and light switches also are culprits.

[JanineM]

I haven't heard of a vaccine. What my doctor and the CDC say is "wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands". I also wipe down our phone, door knobs, the tv remote, the safe, and try not to touch things like stair railings.

 

Several years ago we were in Spain with a group of about 150. Every single person came down with a stomach virus (probably Noro) except for two women ... they both ate yogurt for breakfast every morning. So now I always have yogurt on the ship (and at home most days also).

 

Oh, and I wash my hands over and over and over again!

[PennStateForever]

I would add to Penn State Forever's advice that the Clorox wipes must be used every single day in the cabin because as you go out in the ship and touch things such as elevator buttons and stair rails, even salt and pepper shakers in the dining room, you can be bringing viruses and germs back to your cabin.

 

The travel expert on NBC Today says one of the dirtiest things in a hotel room is the remote control. Telephones are another. Door knobs and light switches also are culprits.

Yeap, we focused a lot of the cleaning on the remote, phones, knobs, etc. since those are touched so often.

 

And that's we always had the instand hand-sanitizer (for when we were out of the cabin). We especially used it before dinner (like after touching the menus).

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

And that's we always had the instand hand-sanitizer (for when we were out of the cabin). We especially used it before dinner (like after touching the menus).

 

Yikes, I never thought about menus! Just think how many people handle them and they are hard to clean. :eek: Thanks for calling that to my attention.

[PennStateForever]

Yikes, I never thought about menus! Just think how many people handle them and they are hard to clean. :eek: Thanks for calling that to my attention.

Yep, not a problem. :)

 

My aunt and cousin told us about that and I forgot about it until after my menu had touched all my silverware on Day 1 at dinner. >_< I survived, though.

[realtreebar]

thanks for the info!

[Langley Cruisers]

If you are the type to wipe down surfaces in your cabin (I am one of those types), remember to do so every day, even several times a day. Your room steward is wiping your door handles and toilet seat and remote control with the same cloth s/he used in previous cabins. The thought alone makes me cringe! It just makes good sense to wipe down and wipe down again.

 

Yogurt good. Me eat yogurt before, during, and after cruise. hehe :p

[QTMichele]

Another type A, obsessive compulsive personality here! :D I brought wipes with me just to wipe things down on the first day. It made me feel better, even though I *know* that there is no way to get rid of all the microorganisms living amonst us. My best advice is to wash your hands often AND keep your hands AWAY from your face. Don't lick your fingers clean (even if the food is finger lickin' good) - use utensils. Even those of us with the strictest of cleanliness guidelines aren't immune to Noro... it can be IN/ON the food as well (i.e. people touch tongs, tongs fall into food; ill crew member prepares food; etc.). In any case, enjoy your cruise and try not to think about the "what ifs." :)

[Sundagger]

There is definitely no vaccine for Norovirus. There isn't much use asking your personal physician for a prescription, since the ship's doctor is much more aware of the problem and the resolution.

 

Purell and similar preventatives won't kill the Norovirus, but will kill some viruses and bacteria that act in a similar manner to Norovirus. Wiping things down with Clorox wipes will help. Yogurt is great for you, but won't prevent a Norovirus infection.

 

As others have said: Wash, Wash, Wash. Avoid touching surfaces that others may have contaminated (which is harder than it sounds).

[coxswain]

preventative vaccine

 

 

YEAH - WASHING YOUR HANDS before MEALS !!!!

 

 

 

 

jj.......

[lovemylab]

Don't touch your mouth or food with your hands. Frequently wash your hands with soap and warm water.

 

If you are eating something that requires your hands (i.e. a hamburger or dinner roll)than use a hand sanitizer immediately before.

[superjerryw]

Don't touch your mouth or food with your hands.

 

Sorry, but eating with silverware just takes all the fun out of it. Eating caveman style is just more fun....:eek:

[lovemylab]

Sorry, but eating with silverware just takes all the fun out of it. Eating caveman style is just more fun....:eek:

 

Unfortunately not everyone uses silverware. Look around next time and you will see lots of people using their fingers - especially in the line at the Windjammer :eek:

[mommabean]

Sorry, but eating with silverware just takes all the fun out of it. Eating caveman style is just more fun....:eek:

 

Cavewoman here. There is something about eating bacon, french fries, and pizza with a fork that is just unappealing to me. :rolleyes:

[superjerryw]

Cavewoman here. There is something about eating bacon, french fries, and pizza with a fork that is just unappealing to me. :rolleyes:

 

Hey, I'm from Brooklyn. If you try to eat pizza in Brooklyn with a fork it's enough of a reason to have you locked up....;)

[superjerryw]

Unfortunately not everyone uses silverware. Look around next time and you will see lots of people using their fingers - especially in the line at the Windjammer :eek:

 

I know, it's as if these people have gone without eating for so long that they can't wait until they get to their table to start eating....:rolleyes:

[wraithe]

Guess I'm one of the cavemen. If I get to the point where I feel the need to wipe down my cabin multiple times/day to feel safe, then I'll just stay home. I'm a type A personality as well, but don't feel the need to reclean my cabin. I've been on 12 submarine patrols (and you can't imagine the manners of some nub squids) and 4 cruises. I've never wiped down my cabin, never carried a Clorox wipe onto the ship. I wash my hands nearly every time I pass a restroom, and use sanitizer when the ship has them out. I haven't got norovirus yet. Will I? Probably, if the ship I'm on has an outbreak. Will the people who wipe their rooms down multiple times a day, probably. FWIW, the hand sanitizer you use has to be 60-95% alcohol to be effective, and if it takes less than 30 seconds before it's dry, you haven't used enough (Hand Hygeine Revisited). So five seconds of rubbing your hands with a hand sanitizer after sticking them under one of the globes is pretty much a waste of time.

[RAFWriter]

So I assume that Royal doesn't have hand sanitizer at the entrance to the restaurants? On Disney, there are several staff members posted at the entrance to all eating areas, and they hand you a sanitizing wet wipe as you enter. There's also the liquid hand sanitizer available at the entrances too. Maybe that's because there's more kids on those cruises, but it definitely helped give you peace of mind.

[FreewayFortune]

So I assume that Royal doesn't have hand sanitizer at the entrance to the restaurants? On Disney, there are several staff members posted at the entrance to all eating areas, and they hand you a sanitizing wet wipe as you enter. There's also the liquid hand sanitizer available at the entrances too. Maybe that's because there's more kids on those cruises, but it definitely helped give you peace of mind.

 

 

Royal had hand sanitzers at the entrance to the Windjammer, dinning room and on deck as you came onto the ship.

[RAFWriter]

Good to know! Now I don't have to carry my Purel to meals! Thanks!

[BecciBoo]

Two thoughts on this subject. A while ago, I saw a health channel program about bacteria and virus, and the scientists on that show stated that we are in real trouble in this country because of the over reaction on hygene. We have spent so much time trying to eradicate all forms of germs we have made ourselves much more vulnerable to mutant forms and strains that cannot be controlled by overuse of bacterial soaps and chemicals on our countertops, etc. They seemed to be saying that there is a fine line between using just soap and the anti virul/bacterial chemicals. I know no one wants to contract a stomach virus like Noro but that may be the reason we suddenly have this problem on the ships. And our immune systems are not used to dealing with it and cannot fight it well.

#2-The biggest culprit is the door to a restroom. You can wash your hands all you want to, but if you touch the knob/lever of the door on the way out...bingo..you got it! Always reserve the paper you dryed your hands on and use it to protect your hand from the door, then toss into a receptacle. Too bad the cruise ships can't take a lesson from Wally World who now don't put doors on any of their restrooms. You just walk in.

[BecciBoo]

Royal had hand sanitzers at the entrance to the Windjammer, dinning room and on deck as you came onto the ship.

 

Yes, but one night as we went in, the darn thing wasn't working and so people were just shrugging and going on in. I'm carrying mine right to the table with me.:o I may even make a lanyard for the bottle so I can hang it around my neck.