How to keep Norovirus away

[Kas55]

With lots of media coverage on Norovirus and cruises bombarding us, I have come across many folks who are too scared to cruise because of this illness ruining their vacations. Older and immunocompromised people are the ones who are especially concerned, and rightly so.

 

So, how do you protect yourself from this horrible illness as best as you can?

 

Here are a few of my tips, which, hopefully will help you, too:

 

!) Carry your own medical kit - Immodim, electrolyte replacements, Florastor, and if necessary, get your doctor to ensure you have a relevant antibiotic with you. Much better to be prepared than having to wait for the ship doctor and pay out even more.

 

2) Keep your hands scrupulously clean at all times. I carry my own bottle of hand sanitizer, and if I touch anything public ( a hand railing, dish up spoon in the buffet, shake hands etc), I clean my hands immediately afterwards. a

3) Keep your hands away from your mouth, nose and eyes at all times.

 

4) Carry your own disinfectant ( I like the P73 Oregano spray) and a clean cloth, and wipe down your door knobs, railings your toilet seat, your faucets and the telephone. This will kill off any germs left behind by earlier passengers and even your stateroom attendants.

 

5) Watch people in the buffet area. I have seen folk dishing up with their hands, or picking at food items and putting them back. If you see this, please let an attendant know immediately, so that the food can be removed and replaced. Ditto if you see anyone coughing or sneezing into/near a food item.

 

6) If you work out on gym equipment, wipe it down first, and also do so when you have finished your workout.

 

7) Be aware of food which could be contaminated and either avoid it or wash it yourself. This pertains to fruit, vegetables and salads, mainly. Ensure your meat, chicken, fish is cooked through properly.

 

8) Be aware of what you eat on shore. Standards in some countries may not be what you are used to, or your system many not be able to tolerate lesser cleanliness. Especially watch out for food items that lie open in markets or food from mobile street units.

 

9) Be aware of ice in drinks and poured soft drinks. Always better and safer to get something in an unopened bottle or can.

 

 

10) If you do pick up a gastric bug, treat it immediately. Stop eating solid food for a day or two. Drink lots of fluids and introduce solids slowly and carefully. Rest up and let the authorities know you are ill. Keep washing your hands and keep any surfaces you touch disinfected.

 

 

Safe and healthy cruising to us all!

Edited February 24, 2014 by Kas55

[Gonzo70]

Some of these are good tips, but others may actually increase risk of one obtaining Noro. Noro is a virus - not a bacterial infection. Antibiotics do nothing to prevent or treat noro. Most hand sanitizers do not effectively kill the virus - so if you use sanitizer after touching contaminated utensils at the buffet you have likely done nothing to decrease your risk of obtaining noro. Generally washing your hands with soap and warm water (and using friction across your entire hand for a sufficient time period) is what is needed to rid your hands of the virus (if present) to avoid risking infecting yourself while eating or touching your mouth, nose, eye etc. Hand sanitizers unfortunately often cause people to have a false sense of security.

[Arusha]

 

 

!) Carry your own medical kit - Immodim, electrolyte replacements, Florastor, and if necessary, get your doctor to ensure you have a relevant antibiotic with you. Much better to be prepared than having to wait for the ship doctor and pay out even more.

 

 

Noro is caused by a virus, not by a bacteria. Antibiotics have no effect on viruses.

 

http://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/hcp/diagnosis-treatment.html

[CaroleSS]

With lots of media coverage on Norovirus and cruises bombarding us, I have come across many folks who are too scared to cruise because of this illness ruining their vacations.

 

Norovirus is everywhere. Anywhere there is a gathering of people, norovirus is a possibility. The only way to ensure you won't get it is to never leave your house (ok, that isn't 100%, but darned well close).

 

Cruises have gotten a bad rap because they are required to report outbreaks. Schools, nursing facilities, hospitals and the like are not...so you don't hear about that. The statistics are staggering.....the CDC reports 20Million cases in 2013 with 63% of those occurring in health care facilities....yet in 2013, there were seven norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships reported to the CDC, involving a total of 1,238 passengers. That is a REALLY small number!

 

Lets put that into perspective, approximately 21.3 million passengers sailed on cruise ships in 2013 so this figure represents approximately six one thousandths of one percent (.006%) of global passengers.

 

Me, I leave on my cruise in 6 days.....I will wash my hands, but I WON'T be afraid to cruise!

[cruzemaven]

Our friend who is a gastroenterologist suggested to us that the source for the Noro virus on these ships may be in the water systems...particularly the showers and sinks. I have never heard this theory before...is it possible? How would one protect against that as the source. Hope this has been totally ruled out.

[Laurie S.]

Just got off the Miracle, my methods are frequent (and thorough) hand-washing, using my elbow on the stairway railings, and my knuckle on the elevator buttons. We don't wipe down a darn thing.

[iheartbda]

Our friend who is a gastroenterologist suggested to us that the source for the Noro virus on these ships may be in the water systems...particularly the showers and sinks. I have never heard this theory before...is it possible? How would one protect against that as the source. Hope this has been totally ruled out.

I'm certainly no expert but, if it was in the water system, I would think far more passengers would be sick when there's an outbreak.

[Gonzo70]

Our friend who is a gastroenterologist suggested to us that the source for the Noro virus on these ships may be in the water systems...particularly the showers and sinks. I have never heard this theory before...is it possible? How would one protect against that as the source. Hope this has been totally ruled out.

 

Seems far fetched to me.

[CaroleSS]

Wiping down your cabin also doesn't help much. If you come in contact with the virus, you become a carrier, so anything/everything you touch in your own cabin could pass it to your partner! Also, many of the cleaning agents won't have any effect on noro. If you carefully read some of those cleaners, they say you have to leave the spray (clorox, etc) on for upwards of 20 minutes if you are treating an area which has been in contact with the virus! I'm not gonna do that!

 

I am going to go out on a limb and say that it doesn't come from the ship's water. That water is probably cleaner than what you get out of the tap at home. It 'could' come up from the sewer if your sewer backs up and someone on the ship is sick. But if my sewer is backing up, I'm going somewhere else and won't use the cabin facilities until some major cleaning is done.....regardless!

[janice2348]

I wonder how many of these threads there are going to be....

Overuse of antibiotics is part of the problem. Most illnesses are caused by viruses...antibiotics won't help you.

 

Frequent use of hand sanitizer is another issue. I had a friend who would douse herself in it. She contracted a very serious URI..almost died. That convinced me that they in fact probably contribute to frequent ilnesses. Same goes for spraying with lysol and wiping with clorox wipes. This also adds to the problem.

 

Wash your hands, and don't touch your eyes, etc.

 

I am not a fanatical clean freak; germophobe. Haven't been sick since 2007.

 

Please get a life and if you are so hellbent on being germ free, stay home and let the rest of us use our immune system to fight off whatever. That is what it's for.

[iheartbda]

Seems far fetched to me.

I'm not a doctor but I did stay in a Holiday Inn.:D

 

Yes, I think the gastro guy is all wet. :p The cruise lines have long been dealing with Noro virus and I would think that they know what they are doing as to how and what to clean.

[CaroleSS]

I wonder how many of these threads there are going to be....

Overuse of antibiotics is part of the problem. Most illnesses are caused by viruses...antibiotics won't help you.

 

Frequent use of hand sanitizer is another issue. I had a friend who would douse herself in it. She contracted a very serious URI..almost died. That convinced me that they in fact probably contribute to frequent ilnesses. Same goes for spraying with lysol and wiping with clorox wipes. This also adds to the problem.

 

Wash your hands, and don't touch your eyes, etc.

 

I am not a fanatical clean freak; germophobe. Haven't been sick since 2007.

 

Please get a life and if you are so hellbent on being germ free, stay home and let the rest of us use our immune system to fight off whatever. That is what it's for.

 

HA! I think the best thing is for everyone to go out and eat a teaspoon of dirt every day! That'll get the ole immune system in gear!!! :eek:

[BruceMuzz]

You self-medicating types are probably our worst enemies in fighting ourbreaks.

 

As mentioned, nearly all hand sanitizers do not kill viruses. They only give you a false sense of security by thinking you are sterile, when you are not.

 

The few hand sanitizers that do kill viruses are rarely used properly, and are rendered useless. If the "dwell time" (the period of time that the sanitizer stays wet on your hands) is less than 3 minutes, no sanitizer in the world will help you. It takes 5 full minutes to be completely successful. I have never witnessed a passenger who had wet hand sanitizer on his hands for 5 full minutes.

 

Where do you keep that hand sanitizer container?

Probably in your pocket or purse - 2 of the most unsanitary places on earth.

After removing the contaminated bottle from your pocket, you "sanitize" your hands, then use your clean hands to place the contaminated bottle back into a very unclean place.

Guess what, your hands are contaminated again !! Not smart.

 

When your body is invaded by Norovirus, it makes every attempt to get that virus out of your system as quickly as possible. This usually involves repeated vomiting and diarrhea.

 

Drugs like Immodium prevent your body from using it's natural defenses (vomiting and diarrhea) to get the illness out of your system, keeping you sick longer - and contagious longer. A very stupid and dangerous idea.

 

Why is it that in the 21st century, we have to debate all this childish nonsense with adults from North America, when the best solution is just properly washing your hands after wiping your bum?

[Lerin]

With lots of media coverage on Norovirus and cruises bombarding us, I have come across many folks who are too scared to cruise because of this illness ruining their vacations. Older and immunocompromised people are the ones who are especially concerned, and rightly so.

 

All the better.

Those of us who go on a cruise to have fun don't want to be surrounded by a bunch of Nervous Nellies. :p

[cb at sea]

Your hands don't HAVE to be clean....simply don't touch your face (eyes, nose or mouth!), until you wash your hands! The germs do NOT go through your skin! You have to introduce them into your system! It's the same with women who will NOT sit on the toilet...they hover and make a mess! Sit down, for God's sake...you can't catch anything through the back of your thighs!

 

Noro is everywhere...not just on ships! If you have kids, you've probably had it...if you haven't, you most likely will at some point!

 

It's as common as the cold virus....but much more miserable!

 

Follow standard hygeine...wash hands before touching face or eating.

Edited February 25, 2014 by cb at sea

[donaldsc]

If you do all the 10 items on your list all the time, I am sure that you are going to have an absolutely wonderful cruise.

 

DON

[KKB]

No, SERIOUSLY

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/02/12/researchers-pizza-herb-could-prevent-winter-vomiting-disease

Or at least cook with oregano oil--worth a shot!

[iheartbda]

...............................Good information.

 

Why is it that in the 21st century, we have to debate all this childish nonsense with adults from North America, when the best solution is just properly washing your hands after wiping your bum?

Really, North Americans are the ONLY ones who don't properly wash their hands afterwards, REALLY?

[BruceMuzz]

Really, North Americans are the ONLY ones who don't properly wash their hands afterwards, REALLY?

 

No. There are many unclean people out there. But it is the Americans who always want to try to take antibiotics, rub on chemicals, drink immodium, spray Lysol, take special tablets, drink special tea, buy specail hand wipes, and all sorts of other crazy things, when the simple answer is WASH YOUR HANDS PROPERLY AFTER USING THE TOILET. THEN KEEP YOUR HANDS - clean or dirty - OUT OF YOUR MOUTH.

 

Norwalk Virus developed in, was discovered in, and was named after, an American City, Norwalk、Ohio.

Norwalk virus is most prevalent in Canada, Germany, the UK, Australia, and the USA.

But the USA has much higher NLV outbreak numbers every year than all the others do.

 

The primary cause of Norwalk infection is lack of handwashing, or lack of proper handwashing, after using the toilet. It is that simple. No rocket science involved.

The secondary cause of Norwalk infection is putting dirty hands into mouth, nose, and eyes.

 

I leave it to you to guess who doesn't wash their hands.

Edited February 25, 2014 by BruceMuzz

[dsrdsrdsr]

You won't get precautionary antibiotics from your doctor if you come from the UK. They don't give them out like smarties here, because by doing so, the bugs' resistance to antibiotics grows.

 

(USA isn't the only one at fault. Spain has done sterling work in rducing the effectiveness of antibiotics, by feeding them on a regular basis to cows.)

[zoncom]

Reminds me of time we did B2B TA and europe cruises. I was so proud of myself; only used public ship bath once. No Noro. Stayed on land in Italy where chef owner promised me chocolate filled crepes daily. Got Salmonella from eggs, really bad. Cannot win.

[trev71]

I wash my hands good, I try to aviod touching things if i do I have a a few pocket sized hand sanitzers from bath and body works. and I bring a few clotrix wipes from home and wipe down the door handles of my door in my stateroom and tv remote and a few other random things. i dont go all out but this what I do and *knock on wood* never got sick

[nolesrule]

Just got off the Miracle, my methods are frequent (and thorough) hand-washing, using my elbow on the stairway railings, and my knuckle on the elevator buttons. We don't wipe down a darn thing.

 

Elbow on stairway railings? That pretty much defeats the purpose of using a railing, so why touch it at all?

[CaroleSS]

This is my story and I'm sticking with it!

 

The average virus can only live in a very narrow temperature - which happens to be right around 98.6! The body, being the marvelous thing that it is, tries to prevent the growth/reproduction of said virus by raising your body temperature to a point where the virus is inhibited.....it gives you a fever!

 

I say, knowing that the quickest way to raise/lower the temperature of anything is immersion in water, is to take a hot bath as soon as you feel icky....doesn't have to be REALLY hot....just a nice warm temperature - like 100.

 

Oh wait! Isn't that about the same temperature of a hot tub?? I think we should all go into the hot tub once a day to keep us from getting sick......cook those nasty guys before they can take hold!!!

 

An ounce of prevention and all!! :p

[cruiseryyc]

11) Stay home, never have friends in to visit, don't go out anywhere, wear a hazmat suit at all times.