Doris&Nereus

Hi, Pres. Trump is taking the monoclonal antibodies from Regeneron. Dr. Peyer Hotez who is an expert on Vaccines and coronavirus from Baylor college in Houston was on CNN today, and he said that monoclonal antibodies may have saved Trump's life. And that they are the most powerful meds we have. He didn't mention that they are still being studied.

What do you think about this article on an antibody therapy that could be of tremendous help? I know that I posted about this before, but I just don't see why we can't

expand our efforts to include more therapies. We should not put all our eggs in one basket, INMHO.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/op-eds/an-antibody-therapy-could-get-us-to-the-new-normal

2 hours ago, BP99 said:

Yes, I agree that they (the companies) are pushing the term "preventative" treatment

since the mAb have a limited half life (weeks/months) depending on the dose and

NO potential memory (T&B cells). They also mention using mAb's that don't

have FC receptors to increase their half life but you are still left with clearing

the virus once the mAb's bind to the virus. They are used effectively to treat

certain disease but are EXPENSIVE to make/use.

BP99, you say that the mAb will not kill the current infection.  So they just drop off , and the same infection just comes back after the 4 months or so. I thought that the person who got the treatment could get another infection, but not the same one would get back into the cells. That is why I was hoping for mAbs to work on sick people and those at very high risk until we can get the vaccine to work. Also, there are some people who have poor immune response to vaccines, and they could benefit.

Dr. William Schffner an infectious disease doctor from Vanderbilt University talked about monoclonal antibodies on The Doctor Radio show on Sirius radio the other day. He said that he is hoping for mAbs to be very helpful to combat the virus. Furthermore, he was wondering why there has not been much data coming out so far. But this has been a few days ago.  This is what I have been hoping for since March. INMHO this should be a game changer since it can be both a cure and a prevention.  

1 hour ago, npcl said:

If it was really all that promising they would not have a funding issue.  There would be a number of Pharma companies offering to partner on the product or buy the company.  Centivax has no track record.  Lilly has multiple trials running for their product including both as treatment, and as a preventive therapy.

Dr. Glanville is young and an idealist. He states that he does not want to partner with big Pharma, as he wants to keep the cost affordable for all. As I posted before, his Mabs went through phase II trials with the Army medical lab as well as Stanford University, and one other major university.  I believe that big pharma should not be our only way forward. I know everyone is looking at their stocks, but what good is money if people are dying.  

On 8/19/2020 at 11:45 AM, TeeRick said:

My guess at this point is that most of us in the "regular" non-priority population will be waiting until at least the second half of 2021 to start getting vaccinated.  It is a guess only.

I believe that monoclonal antibodies can be a good bridge to a vaccine, and we should be able to cruise as soon as these come out because the correct ones can eliminate the virus. Also, the phase III studies can move very fast BK as soon as they are given to enough people who are sick with the virus and agree to an emergency use of the Mab, we will know if they work. However, I only know of three companies who are ready to be or now are in phase III: Eli Lilly, Regeneron and Centivax. Furthermore, I believe the small Co Centivax is on hold for lack of funding.  It's CEO, Jacob Glanville has some promising results, and we need to make sure his Mab cocktail is funded now to ensure that we have at least one that works. I don't understand why we only focus on vaccines when Mabs can get us out of this mess so much faster.

4 hours ago, SakeDad said:

 

Well, we'll just have to wait and see if they DID indeed report as they are saying and someone dropped the ball or if they never reported it. 

The Crown is due in Saturday, we'll have to see how this affects them as well.

 

Also, MANY of those Florida residents he is sworn to protect make a living as a direct result of the cruise lines. So if this gets into a pissing match THEY are the ones that will be hurt the most in the end.

Yes, many of us do make a living as a result of the cruise industry. And many of my good friends may lose jobs. But, we can't let this virus kill us. BTW, there are people on that HAL ship from my neighborhood. Therefore, we must find a way to get them off the ship in a safe way. 

4 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

Not necessarily so.  Some may wish to spend down their investments rather than any other option.  

Yes, RocketMan275, You are correct.  Many in the upper age group were able to save and don't rely on stocks for retirement. Many smart older people didn't have to have the latest cell phones and new TVs that you young people wasted your money on. One younger friend told us that he spent $4,000.00 on a TV back a few years ago. This is when we still were watching a big back Sony. And we were still working and had little time to binge watch.

14 minutes ago, bluehengal said:

Yes.  The bars are all open.  Not sure about the casino.  They are giving people a "couple of complimentary beers or glasses of wine ".  MDR is open seating with no dress code as we have no luggage. 

Sorry to hear this. Better get some snacks to bring back to your room if you have to stay. I read on some of the other posts that the crew had trouble getting food to rooms of those who were stuck and some went to bed hungry.  I know that it's not the worst problem you have, but some (like my DH) need to eat something often for health reasons. 

20 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

That is horrifying - the people you know who were on the Pearl who had Noro didn't report it because they didn't want to be confined to their cabin. Sorry to say - but that is how it spreads through a ship.

Yes, I asked them about that. I know that they are a family of health care workers who always bring prescription meds on trips.  Among the family are three doctors and one pharmacist. They told me to be assured that those who were sick could not and would not leave the cabin. And they knew that their illness was not transmitted through the air. But, I was not on that ship so I can't tell others what to do. And I am not in the health care field. Also, we have gone to the ships doctor when we needed to.

17 hours ago, npcl said:

That's funny in April 2019 the total number of cases did not even get to the level requiring report to the CDC (it is not in the CDC list of cruise ship outbreaks) which is 3% or more of passengers. Since the Pearl is around a 2400 capacity ship the reporting limit would have been 72 passengers.  Quite a bit less than the 1,000 you are stating.  a bit of hyperbole it seems.

A group of my friends were on the Pearl TA in April.  Several in that group were sick but didn't report bk they had brought meds from home. They also didn't want to be confined to the cabin. They told me that indeed many more were sick than were reported. They told me that they thought yes over 1000 were sick. And true ,they said that the ship was a ghost town. BTW we almost booked that trip. 

2 minutes ago, Doris&Nereus said:

 

It looks like you had 8 beautiful ports in 2 weeks.  I would have loved to be on that trip. I know that everyone wants to see Iceland, but when I was there, it was very cold, and if there were a storm there, I think you couldn't see or do that much. But, I don't want to be around when there's a riot on a ship. That's crazy. Maybe they should limit the drink package until after 5. 

5 hours ago, 2spring said:

I was on the cruise for the entire 2 weeks.  The ports of call were originally Amsterdam, then Bergen, Flam, and Geiranger Norway 3 days in succession, Akureyri and Reykjavik Iceland, Belfast and Dublin, Ireland.  LeHavre was substituted for Amsterdam, but by the time we got there, the weather was too rough to dock.  We sailed to our 3 ports in Norway and I shopped at the stores and had 3 beautiful excursions!  Flam even had “The Mall of Norway” right adjacent to the port.  It was announced while we were in Norway that the weather would have high winds & waves on our return itinerary from Iceland, so for safety of the passengers, Iceland was cancelled.  Instead, we sailed to Hellesylt, then Aselund, Norway, again with stunning beauty!  The only light rain I remember (with the emphasis on light) was on our walking tour in Bergen.  Next we were to have 2 sea days then stop in Greenock, Scotland to also make up for missed ports.  We sailed into the harbor and it was announced that a Naval vessel was at the dock we needed and it needed repairs.  They said they figured our new arrival time would be 1-1/2 hour later.  As we waited, the seas became really rough and the fog rolled in.  I believe we had the port pilot onboard.  It was announced to be too dangerous to dock.  That’s when all the rioting began.  I hear calls of “REVOLUTION!” In the stairwells.  My husband and I chose to stay away.  We had 1 more Sea day, then arrived in Belfast, Ireland.  It did have some rain for a bit, but by the time we arrived at our tour destination, it was gone.  The following day was Dublin, with partly cloudy weather to beautiful blue skies and , later, a few drops of rain.  We had one Sea day as we sailed back to Southampton.  Hope that clears it up for you!

On 10/9/2019 at 11:53 PM, Taters said:

Honestly, when NCL saw that the weather for the cruise was going to be horrible, they should have simply headed for the Med.  There would have been warm ports, nicer weather and even though they'd changed the itinerary completely, people would have had less to complain about.   

Yes, Taters you are correct. We were on The Royal princess out of Southampton to New York on Sept. 10, 2018. We were supposed to go to Belfast, Norway, and Canada; but the weather was bad, so the ship went to Spain and Azores. It was a beautiful trip, and I'm so happy that the decision was made to go South. We had been to all of those ports before, but we were able to go on different tours ,and the weather was great, seas smooth as glass. No, I don't want rough seas on my trip.  Also, we have been on many cruises, and some TA's that missed ports due to weather.    

We were on the Royal Princess from Southampton, UK to New York on September, 10 2018. Because of bad weather, we missed going to Bergen Norway on September 15th; Also, we did not stop in Belfast or Newfoundland, planned stops. Instead we went south and stopped in Azores. Although some of the passengers were not happy, and we had been to the Azores many times, we had a great time and the weather was great. This happened to us in 2017 when we missed Boston and went on to dock in NY on the Regal Princess. We also had a wonderful time on that crossing. IMO, I was at that time and am now so happy that those in charge thought about keeping us safe first. 

In Florida one can get an ID from the DMV that is not a driver's license. My mom got one when she could no longer drive, and they took her picture and she got it on the spot.  

We went to Santiago de Compostela last year, and found it very inspirational. In fact, one of our good friends did one of the the longer walks twice. But dh has some back problems now, and he can't do that much walking , so we went to a lovely house and garden in Vego. It was a great cruise overall, and we had a great time.

We were on that TA cruise on the Royal 9/10/18 to 9/25/18. I was a little sad to miss those ports, and Vigo was not great on a Sunday, but I don't want to sail in bad weather , nor do I like rough seas. So, I am happy that we went south. I had done other crossings before on other lines, and some had such bad weather that we had to spend entire days in our cabins. Although, I feel okay and don't get sick, I have a much better time with smooth seas and nice weather. For me it was a great cruise.

I am very disappointed that I can't get unlimited internet for my Royal cruise next month. We sail at least twice a year, and since we were on Regal for our last three cruises, we could use Whatsapp to talk,and it was great. I don't mind paying, but we must be able to communicate. No, we don't want to stream video or watch Netflix. However, we run a small business and will lose a lot of money and customers. We will have to sail on the other lines. I don't want to change, but there is no other way. :(:(:(:(

We were on that TA cruise on the Regal. It was a great cruise. I also asked the steward for some better towels, but was told that there were no better ones. Although there was some very bad weather in our path, the captain went around it , and as a result, we had some very beautiful sea days and very few rough weather times. Indeed, towels are of little importance.

The problem in some of those countries is that the police ,for many reasons, may not be of any help to those in trouble. I have many friends from South America, Central America and the Caribbean, and many tell me that they can't depend upon the police or any government agency. Some have told me that the post office in their country is not reliable. Also, some don't trust banks. One of my good friends was with me when she got a call from her friend in her home country. This friend was saying that her son had been kidnaped. Well, my friend went on to say that she will just have to pay, and he will probably be okay. No mention of calling the police. My friend went on to say that that's why she lives in this country. And, " Thank God for this Country!"

When I am on a cruise ship, I must feel a great amount of trust in the staff and crew. I think about the fact that I am in their hands when I am there. I can't go to another restaurant or to another hotel like I have done many times when on land when I don't like what I see. Now, this trust is lost with Carnival, and there is no way I could ever bring myself to go on another cruise with them.I also know that there are many other cruise lines. Therefore, I will never give them my hard earned money again. Yes, I vote with my money, and perhaps this vote will motivate the management of other lines to be much more careful with our health and safety.

I must say that health and safety are my primary considerations when choosing a vacation. To that end, I will never sail on Carnival again, and Silverseas is a no for me too. We love to sail and have introduced many friends and co-workers to sailing, so my hope is that the management of the other lines will take note and assure that this will never happen on their lines. I thank these boards for giving us a place to put forth our views.

Yes, I was thinking the same thing. If you had a credit card, you could have walked over to the Hilton. It has the most beautiful pool, and you could have asked for a phone charger; those places always have an extra one to lend you. However, I am so sorry that that happened to you.

klfhngr - i've read this before, but found it linked again from a similar thread about 'anyone ever get left behind' on the carnival forum - and this condensed version was linked. i read it again, because it's still great info to keep in the back of your mind 'just in case'...

 

why didn't alfred leave you at, say, the british colonial hilton? now i see two different addresses when i google 'mr photo nassau bahamas'... so that's where i guess the plot thickens...

 

their current location (or maybe there's more than one location for all i know), as based on their website, shows them at market street (at bay street), all of a few hundred meters from the BCH (and cruise port, AND us embassy):

 

https://www.bahamaslocal.com/showlisting/2844/Mr_Photo.html#largemap

 

the embassy is all of 300m, a few minutes WALKING, from either, just south.

 

if i just type in 'mr photo nassau bahamas' to google maps, it shows it on Shirley St, about 2.6km from the BCH (7 minutes via taxi):

 

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/British+Colonial+Hilton+Nassau,+One,+Bay+St,+Nassau,+Bahamas/BahamasLocal.com,+Shirley+St,+Nassau,+The+Bahamas/@25.0759111,-77.3435988,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x892f7d1b19f200c3:0x453562fa0f5eb52a!2m2!1d-77.345713!2d25.0784252!1m5!1m1!1s0x892f7db18d205bed:0xe556d7f7ee5bbea5!2m2!1d-77.326891!2d25.073971

 

i really ask this mostly because you specifically said you were expecting a hilton or hyatt (and then mentioned again when you moved near the airport), rather than the 'seedy' hotel you were left at, and quite frankly the BCH is directly next to the port. i've always thought it was odd the port agent (for any cruise line) would direct someone to those sort of accommodations when there's a very nice hilton right around the corner, close to the embassy. there obviously would have been better internet connectivity, either via business center type computers or wifi there vs. where you were left. i guess i also figured there'd be somewhere to get a passport photo taken that close to the embassy (and i believe other countries' embassies are also in the same general area, around the nassau government complex).

 

i'm not for a moment questioning your story. i did read this whole thread to see if it's been answered, and it hasn't even been asked. it's just something i've always wondered. if it was answered on the other (un-redacted) thread anyone else please feel free to relay info.

 

glad to see you're back to cruising, and i wouldn't bother asking but i see you've been here semi-recently (and have more cruises planned, way to go)... but i've always wondered. anyhow, thanks regardless for your story, it definitely has influenced the way i think of such situations. cruise on!

We were on the Regal for that TA, and although the seas were rough at times, DH and I were fine and had a great time. We had a cabin on deck 8 in the back. Also, we had late dinner at the MD every night followed by the late show. We had a great time, and the other two couples at our table had very few complaints. I must say that I was on cruises that had seas that were much rougher. For example, we were on a TA from Fort Lauderdale: Celebrity Silholette, 4-23-2017. The captain was great at telling us how he was planning to go around a storm, but the ride was very rough. And, for the first night and part of the next day, it was not a very fun time. However,we were 8 days at sea, and the rest of the cruise was fine. I was also on a Holland TA cruise that left Boston late in August that was much worse because many people got sick, and we all had a hard time standing. I have to say that thanks to Regal's captain and crew, the cruise was great. And we loved the extra time in NY, so much to see and do. Also, I am sorry for those who had plans for the ports that we missed.