Norovirus Outbreak Hits Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship

[mstigerlily18]

 

I guess I'm not understanding why you think the soap, water, dirt, germs, virus, and bacteria from hand washing that goes down the drain is recycled. Whatever goes down the drain becomes sewage since that's where the drain pipe goes.

Judy

 

Actually, that's not true. Waste water from sinks and showers is greywater and is used as process water on the ship- used in some mechanical systems and in washing decks (not clothing, dishes, or anything like that). (note: the washing decks part came from a documentary about one of the rcci ships)

 

Water from toilets and the medical facility is considered blackwater, which can NOT be used again until treated. It is filtered, treated, etc, like a land-based sewage plant then released. The sewage treatment facility isn't all that large, which is part of the reason the toilets are vacuum style.

 

I can see why you'd assume that whatever goes down the drain becomes sewage since most homes function that way, but can you imagine the huge amount of water that would use if the ship did that? This water separation system is becoming more common on land with green building.

Edited January 31, 2014 by mstigerlily18

[caribill]

Right. How dare the cruiseline restrict their God-given "right" to mix with fellow passengers and share their illness. Seems we had a similar complainer on these boards as well. It's their vacation and they should be free to infect anyone they wish.:rolleyes:

 

From another thread:

 

I had a co-worker on an NCL cruise out of New Orleans whose son was ground zero for a Noro outbreak. They boarded in spite of the kid being up all night with vomiting and diarrhea in the hotel. Eventually all 4 of them got it and they were confined to the cabin. The Dad tried to get off in Cozumel and his card dinged. He was taken back to the cabin by security and admonished that if they tried to leave again a guard would be posted outside the cabin. He wanted his money back. I told him NCL should charge him since he knowingly took on the sick kid and infected several hundred people.

[Sherlock43031]

Not sure your "wow" was because you can't believe I wrote that about the menus or that you're just surprised the menus have germs.

 

Take a look at this one article and you may be really surprised.

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/ConsumerNews/eating-tabletop-item-germier-toilet-seat/t/story?id=12093016&ref=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.google.com%252F

 

the WOW was because you feel dirty after handling the menu.. how about the chair and almost everything else? do you handle the menu's when you go to a land based restaurant? I suspect if you asked your waiter to hold the menu so you wouldn't need to touch it they would.

[cruzinlady1947]

 

I'm still in search of a hand sanitizer that DOES kill Noro. I would like one for my handbag besides Purell which doesn't kill it.

 

My hands are clean when we enter the MDR but after touching the menu they're certainly not.

I just ordered from Amazon...Clorox 02174 Bleach free hand sanitizer 6-pack 2 oz. bottles....Kills Norovirus. It also has premium emollients to prevent drying out of hands. $33.95 w/o shipping.

 

Can only rely on what they say. I'll use it anyway.

 

Gwen :)

[BND]

We'll continue to wash our hands and not put our hands near our faces. Pretty easy if you don't chew your fingernails or pick your nose. I quit doing both of those by age 5.

 

This sudden mass hysteria is an interesting phenomenon. Noro isn't new, but the weather does have something to do with it. The more people are inside, the more illnesses get passed around, regardless of where you are. People who have cruised for years are all of a sudden worried. There was a big outbreak in the last couple of months and I think it was in Georgia or South Carolina and others have been reported, but I don't see people avoiding going places, visiting friends, etc where they are just as likely to be exposed. This outbreak on EX isn't likely to happen again on another ship for years. Could it happen next week, well yeah, but so could a lot of other things.

 

And, we wipe down nothing in our cabin, never have and never will. I like my immune system being able to fight which it can because I've never been a "clean freak". My obsessively clean friends are sick all the time.

[richstowe]

the WOW was because you feel dirty after handling the menu.. how about the chair and almost everything else? do you handle the menu's when you go to a land based restaurant? I suspect if you asked your waiter to hold the menu so you wouldn't need to touch it they would.

Wow to your wow.

I also worry about the cleanliness of the menu holder. I worked as a kitchen manager and pretty much everything

was kept clean and (to the best of our abilities) sanitized.

Menus were not. This was not a unique situation. Styles27 is right to be concerned with germs on the menus.

 

I have never seen them cleaning the menu holder on any ship. Have you ?

Perhaps its time to take the menus out of the holders.

Edited January 31, 2014 by richstowe

[caribill]

I have never seen them cleaning the menu holder on any ship.

 

We have.

 

Also have seen the Cruise Director's staff cleaning the pencils used for trivia.

[train]

I read these tips about a month ago....seems to make sense....

 

9 Germiest Things to Avoid

[Mom.to.2]

Has it been posted that the CDC has officially confirmed this was Noro? The Caribbean Princess is too.

 

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/surv/gilist.htm

[cruisebirdie]

Clorox® Healthcare™ Hydrogen Peroxide

Cleaner Disinfectants

• Wipes and sprays EPA registered to kill Norovirus

in 3 minutes (wipes) and 1 minute (sprays)

• No harsh chemical odors or fumes

• Kills 41 pathogens, including Norovirus,

TB and 13 antibiotic resistant organisms

When I checked the Clorox Healthcare Hydrogen Peroxide product on amazon.com, the description says it kills Norovirus of the Feline Calicivirus kind. Is this effective on all Norovirus strains? Also, to be able to kill a viruses doesn't the product have to be applied for a certain length of time to be effective? Inquiring minds would like to know...

[cruzinlady1947]

When I checked the Clorox Healthcare Hydrogen Peroxide product on amazon.com, the description says it kills Norovirus of the Feline Calicivirus kind. Is this effective on all Norovirus strains? Also, to be able to kill a viruses doesn't the product have to be applied for a certain length of time to be effective? Inquiring minds would like to know...

I Googled it and it said that Feline Calicivirus is a human norovirus surrogate. Whatever the heck that means.:rolleyes:

 

Hope someone else can clarify it better.

 

Gwen :)

[foxgoodrich]

OK...I researched it for myself and it seems the hand sanitizer does NOT mention Noro virus but the surface cleaner does kill Noro.

 

Here's a link to the page and all of the products right on the Clorox site.

 

 

http://www.cloroxprofessional.com/products/clorox-healthcare-hydrogen-peroxide-cleaner-disinfectants/usage/

 

 

I'm still in search of a hand sanitizer that DOES kill Noro. I would like one for my handbag besides Purell which doesn't kill it.

 

My hands are clean when we enter the MDR but after touching the menu they're certainly not.

 

Since noro is a virus and hand sanitizers kill bacteria, what might work better is bringing some of those clear plastic disposable gloves in your purse or pocket to handle the menu with. (I'd use a pair in the Windjammer too for picking up the serving utensils.) I'm talking about the ones food service workers wear - Sam's probably sells them. I think I might buy some…you never know when they might be handy.

 

Other than that, your best defense is to go wash your hands again after handling the menu. We ate brunch at an IHOP with some family members last weekend - talk about a yucky menu! I did go wash my hands after we ordered. My fingers were sticking together. So I knew that menu had syrup on it, but what else??? So I had to go wash my hands. Virus particles on your hands don't make you sick - it's the ones that find their way into your body. Like if they're on the hand you're holding your toast with...:o

 

Noro is everywhere. A bunch of kids are out sick at my granddaughter's school right now. It's a major problem in schools and nursing homes this time of year. I think it was on the CDC website where I saw that January is the highest incidence month for norovirus.

 

DH and I were speculating on who case one might have been in the Explorer episode. The latest outbreak spread to so many people so quickly that we both wondered if case one might have been somebody's young child who was sick and the parent came to work in a job with high passenger contact - like a porter who handles lots of passenger luggage, or a shuttle driver who has contact with passengers and their luggage, or a worker for a food processor/distributor that prepares and packages produce for Explorer, or anyone in a support area who handles passenger items or has lots of contact with embarking pax and/or their luggage. All it would take is for that parent to go to work, without changing clothes, after being in the same room with a child who vomited if the kid had noro…and it forms a chain from there. Ahhh…just speculation, but interesting to wonder about.

 

Right before I sat down here tonight, I went to the supermarket. I came home and immediately washed my hands...the handle on that shopping cart…:eek: Awareness is a good thing. Gotta go get those gloves…:p

Judy

[BND]

 

 

DH and I were speculating on who case one might have been in the Explorer episode. The latest outbreak spread to so many people so quickly that we both wondered if case one might have been somebody's young child who was sick and the parent came to work in a job with high passenger contact - like a porter who handles lots of passenger luggage, or a shuttle driver who has contact with passengers and their luggage, or a worker for a food processor/distributor that prepares and packages produce for Explorer, or anyone in a support area who handles passenger items or has lots of contact with embarking pax and/or their luggage. All it would take is for that parent to go to work, without changing clothes, after being in the same room with a child who vomited if the kid had noro…and it forms a chain from there. Ahhh…just speculation, but interesting to wonder about.

 

 

Judy

 

It could just as easily have been an agent checking people in, handing them their sea passes and passing it on. An agent at the port would have checked in at least 200 passengers as there are usually at least 10-15 working. But, it is very common this time of year and there could have been several people carrying it without even knowing it. It's not like we'll ever know, but there are multiple ways it could have spread.

[antsnanny]

The Clorox Hand santizing spray is sold at Staples.

 

Kills Germs

Clorox hand sanitizer is a great choice for medical institutions, childcare centers, senior centers, or any professional establishment where keeping germs to a minimum is imperative. This hand sanitizer uses a unique bleach-free formula that contains a full 71 percent ethyl alcohol, which is capable of killing more than 99.999 percent of germs on your hands in a mere 15 seconds.

 

Moisturizes

Although it contains ethyl alcohol, Clorox hand sanitizer won't leave you with dry, chapped, and irritated skin. The formula contains several premium emollients, including glycerol monolaurate and glycerin, to keep your hands in looking and feeling smooth.

 

Thanks, Ill be at Staples in the morning! Were leaving Sunday on the Breakaway.

[foxgoodrich]

It could just as easily have been an agent checking people in, handing them their sea passes and passing it on. An agent at the port would have checked in at least 200 passengers as there are usually at least 10-15 working. But, it is very common this time of year and there could have been several people carrying it without even knowing it. It's not like we'll ever know, but there are multiple ways it could have spread.

 

Yes. And with the rapid increase in numbers of sick passengers and crew, seems like it's probable that the onset occurred from more than one source. You're right - we'll never know. (But wouldn't it be interesting if they really could trace it back to case one? :o ) If it was on TV I bet they could...:rolleyes:

Judy

Edited February 1, 2014 by foxgoodrich

[20pluscruises]

It could just as easily have been an agent checking people in, handing them their sea passes and passing it on. An agent at the port would have checked in at least 200 passengers as there are usually at least 10-15 working. But, it is very common this time of year and there could have been several people carrying it without even knowing it. It's not like we'll ever know, but there are multiple ways it could have spread.

 

Interesting!!! I wonder if any one looked into illness with the check-in peeps. Someone coming on board could certainly have passed it on and vice a versa.

[goleta]

Is there a Doctor here that could answer this...does sinus flushing help prevent getting the virus?

 

Sinus flushing is a medical procedure. You could not do it on yourself. I am very sure it wouldn't help prevent noro :eek: either.

[20pluscruises]

Sinus flushing is a medical procedure. You could not do it on yourself. I am very sure it wouldn't help prevent noro :eek: either.

 

LOL! I meant neti pot type flushing. Not the waterboarding my ENT did on me :eek: :D

[Alyrica]

Yes. And with the rapid increase in numbers of sick passengers and crew, seems like it's probable that the onset occurred from more than one source. You're right - we'll never know. (But wouldn't it be interesting if they really could trace it back to case one? :o ) If it was on TV I bet they could...:rolleyes:

Judy

 

It would be like that movie "Contagion" (I think that's the name) with Gwenneth Paltrow. At the end they show exactly what caused it. Not a great movie but I loved that part.

[Wh0amelli]

my $.02

 

I was on the sailing prior (1/12/14). Apparently, many were affected on our sailing. Of my party of 4, 3 were past passengers. One whom was not, was constantly reminded of hand washing/sanitizing. He took it seriously because we did. None of us were sick then, or there after. We were lucky, unlike many of our fellow passengers who apparently became ill after sailing.

 

Now, this has been a topic of discussion in the office lately, many of us are cruisers. A fellow coworker is taking a cruise in just a few short weeks, and working in the medical field, has access to some serious virus killing products. She will be taking cavi-wipes with her. This is an expensive yet super effective product, it DOES kill Noro, along with many other horrible things.

 

I came home unscathed from this wonderful cruise, back to work. Within 10 days, a coworker came to work ill, with noro-like-symptoms.

Someone will always be sick, and not stay home, and unfortunately spread it. I'll definitely cruise again, asap. I'm more concerned that I will fall ill from a contagion at work (I work with children and adolescents) then taking a vacation. It's common cleanliness. If your super paranoid, avoid the Windjammer (tongs go from peoples hands and right back into the food:mad:) and keep your hands out of your mouth and eyes. Protect yourself, and others.

[Keel Haul]

Yes. And with the rapid increase in numbers of sick passengers and crew, seems like it's probable that the onset occurred from more than one source. You're right - we'll never know. (But wouldn't it be interesting if they really could trace it back to case one? :o ) If it was on TV I bet they could...:rolleyes:

Judy

they might if they took stool samples for analysis from crew in the food supply chain who did not show symptoms. It the only way to find A-symptomatic noro carriers.

[cruiseapril]

Many of us take precautions to prevent disease transmission on a cruise. However, some viruses and bacteria (e coli) are potent and, in some cases, unavoidable. Washing hands frequently helps greatly, but it is still possible to contract an infection. So much depends on the strength of the virus, the immune system of the person, AND being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

Noro and other outbreaks are far more common in places other than cruise ships- nursing homes, schools etc.- any place where people are crowded together. My daughter is an epidemiologist who researches outbreaks. She also likes to cruise. She also knows that we can contract any number of infectious diseases in many, many places around the globe.

[OceanCruise]

Airplanes have a ton of germs so perhaps those passengers bring Noro onto the ships. A flight's passengers leave and the next ones go right on. I wipe the seatbelt, tray table, arm rests and video controls with antibacterial wipes and try to avoid the restroom if at all possible. Most of the airplane snacks are finger foods and I rarely see anyone using Purell or wipes before consuming them.

[bouhunter]

This thread is so productive. I think it needs another 1000 posts debating the subject.........:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

[Sherlock43031]

Wow to your wow.

I also worry about the cleanliness of the menu holder. I worked as a kitchen manager and pretty much everything

was kept clean and (to the best of our abilities) sanitized.

Menus were not. This was not a unique situation. Styles27 is right to be concerned with germs on the menus.

 

I have never seen them cleaning the menu holder on any ship. Have you ?

Perhaps its time to take the menus out of the holders.

 

Huh?

 

if you read my post I suggested that if you asked the waiter would hold the menu for you.