Ebola Threat

[gnomie1]

I would imagine that it is difficult for any cruise ship to contain an illness in such a small space. Not sure how one could be prepared more than they are. It was definitely a miserable cruise for many reasons.

 

 

There was so much that could have been done, and much earlier. I thought that the doctor on board was useless and most people on board did not like him. As of yet, I have never seen or heard of a medical/public health officer on board a Regent ship, but people trained in public health know how to properly respond to these situations and not sit around for weeks hoping it goes away on its own. Regent dropped the ball big time on this one. I even provided this entire episode to a colleague which has and continues to use this as a case study in how not to respond to a potential serious health related outbreak.

 

gnomie :)

[Jerry1934]

That would be interesting, especially since there is absolutely no rational explanation for the fear. There is no Ebola in Senegal. The closest country with Ebola is at least 500 miles from Dakar. Hence, all the risks are figments of peoples imagination. But then again, this thread clearly shows it is impossible to fight an idea with facts.

 

How many thousands of Central America immigrants did the US get this past year crossing our border (many of them kids)? I know they traveled more that 500 miles. If I lived where there was little health care help to save my family from a dreadful disease, you can bet I'd find a way to get to some place where there were hospitals and Doctors (Senegal). Wouldn't you?

Jerry

Edited September 22, 2014 by Jerry1934

[Responder]

How many thousands of Central America immigrants did the US get this past year crossing our border (many of them kids)? I know they traveled more that 500 miles. If I lived where there was little health care help to save my family from a dreadful disease, you can bet I'd find a way to get to some place where there were hospitals and Doctors (Senegal). Wouldn't you?

Jerry

Jerry..

 

Excellent reasoning.

 

Thanks

[CruisetheCs]

That would be interesting, especially since there is absolutely no rational explanation for the fear. There is no Ebola in Senegal. The closest country with Ebola is at least 500 miles from Dakar. Hence, all the risks are figments of peoples imagination. But then again, this thread clearly shows it is impossible to fight an idea with facts.

 

The WHO said that the borders with Senegal are porous and the risk of imported cases similar to the known case in Senegal is high. So where do the figments of imagination reside?

[gnomie1]

Just happening to be looking at the Emirates Airlines web page and they mention that although they continue flights into and out of Dakar, they are monitoring the situation closely and may stop flying there, depending on the spread of the ebola virus. It seems that almost all travel establishments are aware of the virus and are keeping their customers informed, that is all except Regent. I am now beginning to wonder if someone in Regent corporate is so thinned skinned that they are now unable to admit they made a mistake and are unwilling to correct it.

 

gnomie :)

[Travelcat2]

There was so much that could have been done, and much earlier. I thought that the doctor on board was useless and most people on board did not like him. As of yet, I have never seen or heard of a medical/public health officer on board a Regent ship, but people trained in public health know how to properly respond to these situations and not sit around for weeks hoping it goes away on its own. Regent dropped the ball big time on this one. I even provided this entire episode to a colleague which has and continues to use this as a case study in how not to respond to a potential serious health related outbreak.

 

gnomie :)

 

Not trying to get this off topic but feel the issue you brought up needs addressing. Regent does have medical doctors on board. Whether people liked him or not, he was prescribing medication that helped passengers. I believe that we were on the ship 18 nights - not weeks. Princess, has a history of Norovirus - Regent does not. Perhaps this is why they need a public health official onboard. As you may recall, at the end of the 18 night cruise, everyone was required to get off of the ship (The Voyager) while it was disinfected from top to bottom. Posters that we continuing on to the next port (after Sydney) were given lunch at the Four Seasons Hotel while the disinfection process was going on. Despite the ship being sanitized, some illnesses continued since some passengers were already sick and carried it back onto the ship.

 

CruisetheC's: Not arguing with your post. However, there has not been a single case of Ebola in Senegal (other than the one addressed above). I understand that the passengers on this cruise have read every article on Ebola -- even though most articles to not mention Senegal. To remind posters of what was posted earlier (and is fact - not rumor), flights and cargo ships continue to go into and out of Senegal daily.

 

Jerry1934: Also not disagreeing with what you stated about children from many countries crossing the border into the U.S. However, if people ill with Ebola (fever, vomiting blood, etc.) were able to travel 500+ miles to find a way to cross into Senegal and wanted to seek help, wouldn't there be a record of them entering a hospital of medical facility?

 

I realize that the passengers of this cruise are frightened and are not open to hearing other points of view.

 

HanaleiSailor:

 

1. There was an article early in September regarding restrictions on people coming from Senegal going into Cape Verde. I suspect that the port and government personnel in Cape Verde know more than we do. Would Regent really go there if they were not allowed to?

 

I have another question regarding Cape Verde. Apparently there is a requirement for passengers on this particular cruise to obtain a Yellow Fever vaccination. However, when we stop in Cape Verde in April 2015, there is no such requirement. Will be researching this further.

 

2. Agree that the international news is full of information regarding Ebola in parts of Western Africa. However, the news regarding Senegal has not been concerning (except for a week or two). If you look back a month or two, Israel was in the news on a daily basis. Regent did not send an email to everyone but simply cancelled the port. If there was not a threat to passengers, they would have visited Israel.

 

So, for me, the bottom line is that Regent is responding to anyone that has a concern - whether you are a TA or passenger. Based on their information, Regent believes Dakar is a safe port. They will not put their crew or passengers at risk. What else is there to say?

 

I am truly not taking Regent's side. The information simply does not support cancelling Dakar.

[Travelcat2]

Yellow Fever immunization is only required if you are coming from a country that has a risk of Yellow Fever (according to the CDC). Senegal is the reason for this requirement.

Edited September 23, 2014 by Travelcat2

[CruisetheCs]

My experience within the public health field and dealing with the early stages of an epidemic in the US lead me to be very sympathetic with the concerns expressed here. That is why I have posted more in this thread than usual.

 

Epidemics affect populations in ways that go far beyond the effect of the disease on the individuals directly infected. To continually try to convince people based on tidbits from the internet that their concerns are over-blown or unwarranted or otherwise unjustified can be very demeaning and disrespectful. Tidbits from here and there do not negate the serious, real concerns that individuals and public health officials have.

 

Public health officials are caught in many dilemmas during epidemics. The best approach to stopping the spread of disease, for example widespread restrictions of one kind or another, may carry huge economic, political, or personal side-effects than can't be wholly justified. So officials try to balance what they know with what they don't know and only impose restrictions that can be reasonably justified based on the latest info about an epidemic.

 

Many of the knowns may change in a few days. Epidemics may spread quickly and sometimes in erratic ways. My guess is that public health officials would prefer that all non-essential travel to endemic and nearby areas be stopped in the case of ebola, but they can't justify that based on what they actually know at this time. One test in an epidemic is to ask officials privately if they would tell a family member to do something and see what they say. They may be far more cautious than public announcements suggest.

 

Passengers on Regent are justified in not wanting to go to Senegal, even if the risk can only be said to be slight or non-existent today. This is a vacation. It is non-essential travel. Who needs this kind of worry, made worse by a cruise line that can't be bothered to respond to its customers and posters who subtly or not so subtly belittle their concerns.

 

Telling people that they are not open to other views seems harsh and untrue to me. Who on this board wishes to not hear that things are fine? What they want is for a public health official who is familiar with the situation on the ground to tell them good news without a bunch of qualifications like porous borders and high risk of transmission. What I assume they don't want is for a non-health professional Regent cheerleader to repeatedly tell them everything is fine and seemingly imply they are deficient for not believing that--or speaking for myself that is what I don't want because things are not fine.

[Responder]

My experience within the public health field and dealing with the early stages of an epidemic in the US lead me to be very sympathetic with the concerns expressed here. That is why I have posted more in this thread than usual.

 

Epidemics affect populations in ways that go far beyond the effect of the disease on the individuals directly infected. To continually try to convince people based on tidbits from the internet that their concerns are over-blown or unwarranted or otherwise unjustified can be very demeaning and disrespectful. Tidbits from here and there do not negate the serious, real concerns that individuals and public health officials have.

 

Public health officials are caught in many dilemmas during epidemics. The best approach to stopping the spread of disease, for example widespread restrictions of one kind or another, may carry huge economic, political, or personal side-effects than can't be wholly justified. So officials try to balance what they know with what they don't know and only impose restrictions that can be reasonably justified based on the latest info about an epidemic.

 

Many of the knowns may change in a few days. Epidemics may spread quickly and sometimes in erratic ways. My guess is that public health officials would prefer that all non-essential travel to endemic and nearby areas be stopped in the case of ebola, but they can't justify that based on what they actually know at this time. One test in an epidemic is to ask officials privately if they would tell a family member to do something and see what they say. They may be far more cautious than public announcements suggest.

 

Passengers on Regent are justified in not wanting to go to Senegal, even if the risk can only be said to be slight or non-existent today. This is a vacation. It is non-essential travel. Who needs this kind of worry, made worse by a cruise line that can't be bothered to respond to its customers and posters who subtly or not so subtly belittle their concerns.

 

Telling people that they are not open to other views seems harsh and untrue to me. Who on this board wishes to not hear that things are fine? What they want is for a public health official who is familiar with the situation on the ground to tell them good news without a bunch of qualifications like porous borders and high risk of transmission. What I assume they don't want is for a non-health professional Regent cheerleader to repeatedly tell them everything is fine and seemingly imply they are deficient for not believing that--or speaking for myself that is what I don't want because things are not fine.

 

A really succinct post..good work..

[Travelcat2]

CruisetheC's: Good post. Could you share with everyone exactly what you or other passengers would like Regent to say that they are not saying?

 

I'm sorry you think that some posters are making you feel that you are deficient because you believe that there is a threat if you stop in Dakar. It is certainly not my intent. I keep looking for evidence to support the fear expressed by some passengers and have not found it. There is a ton of evidence supporting other countries in West Africa, but not Senegal.

 

Things could definitely change between now and the date you are scheduled to dock in Dakar. If there is any indication that the risk has increased, do you feel that Regent would not cancel the port? I may be naïve but I truly believe that Regent would cancel the cruise in a second if the risk became greater than it currently is (and I pray that it does not increase as it would affect even more people than it already has).

 

Throughout this thread I have tried to understand the passengers' point of view as well as Regent's. Although I am an admitted Regent cheerleader (except when I am not), the evidence I have seen to date supports their position.

[Jerry1934]

TC2 posted:

Jerry1934: Also not disagreeing with what you stated about children from many countries crossing the border into the U.S. However, if people ill with Ebola (fever, vomiting blood, etc.) were able to travel 500+ miles to find a way to cross into Senegal and wanted to seek help, wouldn't there be a record of them entering a hospital of medical facility?

Please do not try to equate the technical communications network of rural Senegal (or other Ebola infected countries) with that of the US. Do you really think that an immigrant from Guiana is going to use his/her own name to get medical help? Do you think that they have medical record systems to track people in West Africa like we have with Medicare? By the way, Dakar may be 500 miles from the border but not the nearest medical facility. Siera Leone (spelling) after a 3 day shut down discovered a number of deaths and unreported infected cases. The Health Services there were handing out soap and information about keeping sanitary and the locals started a rumor that the soap was poisoned.

Keep in mind that the incubation period for this disease is 2 - 22 days so a person infected can be a contagion even if he/she has not yet shown significant symptoms.

Have a nice day...... Jerry

Edited September 23, 2014 by Jerry1934
spelling

[Responder]

CruisetheC's: Good post. Could you share with everyone exactly what you or other passengers would like Regent to say that they are not saying?

 

I'm sorry you think that some posters are making you feel that you are deficient because you believe that there is a threat if you stop in Dakar. It is certainly not my intent. I keep looking for evidence to support the fear expressed by some passengers and have not found it. There is a ton of evidence supporting other countries in West Africa, but not Senegal.

 

Things could definitely change between now and the date you are scheduled to dock in Dakar. If there is any indication that the risk has increased, do you feel that Regent would not cancel the port? I may be naïve but I truly believe that Regent would cancel the cruise in a second if the risk became greater than it currently is (and I pray that it does not increase as it would affect even more people than it already has).

 

Throughout this thread I have tried to understand the passengers' point of view as well as Regent's. Although I am an admitted Regent cheerleader (except when I am not), the evidence I have seen to date supports their position.

 

It sure is difficult to try to make you understand.

 

Your cheerleading is well beyond the pale.

Without trying to perform armchair analysis, simply take is as fact that up to 700 people on this sailing might have fears. Whether those fears are unfounded or not is not for you to say or to judge.

 

You are certainly not a health professional and neither am I and with the exception of a few who posted, neither is anyone else.

 

What we wanted from Regent was simply for them to communicate with their paying customers. They too have no say about how we feel or about our thoughts.

 

For those of us who spent what seems like a lifetime in business, we cannot begin to understand the total lack of any communication.

 

That we or our TAs must call to get the scripted answer is nonsense.

 

For me, whatever they eventually come up with, whether it pleases me or not or whether they announce it or not, they've lost me....and many others, I'm sure.

 

Please stop trying to turn this around or cover for Regent. It doesn't help them one bit and as someone earlier mentioned, the repetitive answers you give causes more attention to their failings.

[juli2020]

My experience within the public health field and dealing with the early stages of an epidemic in the US lead me to be very sympathetic with the concerns expressed here. That is why I have posted more in this thread than usual.

 

Epidemics affect populations in ways that go far beyond the effect of the disease on the individuals directly infected. To continually try to convince people based on tidbits from the internet that their concerns are over-blown or unwarranted or otherwise unjustified can be very demeaning and disrespectful. Tidbits from here and there do not negate the serious, real concerns that individuals and public health officials have.

 

Public health officials are caught in many dilemmas during epidemics. The best approach to stopping the spread of disease, for example widespread restrictions of one kind or another, may carry huge economic, political, or personal side-effects than can't be wholly justified. So officials try to balance what they know with what they don't know and only impose restrictions that can be reasonably justified based on the latest info about an epidemic.

 

Many of the knowns may change in a few days. Epidemics may spread quickly and sometimes in erratic ways. My guess is that public health officials would prefer that all non-essential travel to endemic and nearby areas be stopped in the case of ebola, but they can't justify that based on what they actually know at this time. One test in an epidemic is to ask officials privately if they would tell a family member to do something and see what they say. They may be far more cautious than public announcements suggest.

 

Passengers on Regent are justified in not wanting to go to Senegal, even if the risk can only be said to be slight or non-existent today. This is a vacation. It is non-essential travel. Who needs this kind of worry, made worse by a cruise line that can't be bothered to respond to its customers and posters who subtly or not so subtly belittle their concerns.

 

Telling people that they are not open to other views seems harsh and untrue to me. Who on this board wishes to not hear that things are fine? What they want is for a public health official who is familiar with the situation on the ground to tell them good news without a bunch of qualifications like porous borders and high risk of transmission. What I assume they don't want is for a non-health professional Regent cheerleader to repeatedly tell them everything is fine and seemingly imply they are deficient for not believing that--or speaking for myself that is what I don't want because things are not fine.

 

+1

 

The poster that you are referring to doesn't seem to get it. Threads get closed or posts get deleted on the Regent board more often than not because of her.

 

She needs to give this a rest and not try to persuade the passengers that are booked on this cruise that their concerns are unwarranted.

 

This is Cruise Critic not a fan page for Regent.

 

Responder and others booked on this cruise have every right to post their concerns on this forum.

[Travelcat2]

TC2 posted:

Please do not try to equate the technical communications network of rural Senegal (or other Ebola infected countries) with that of the US. Do you really think that an immigrant from Guiana is going to use his/her own name to get medical help? Do you think that they have medical record systems to track people in West Africa like we have with Medicare? By the way, Dakar may be 500 miles from the border but not the nearest medical facility. Siera Leone (spelling) after a 3 day shut down discovered a number of deaths and unreported infected cases. The Health Services there were handing out soap and information about keeping sanitary and the locals started a rumor that the soap was poisoned.

Keep in mind that the incubation period for this disease is 2 - 22 days so a person infected can be a contagion even if he/she has not yet shown significant symptoms.

Have a nice day...... Jerry

 

omg -- I didn't equate the technical communications network of rural Senegal with that of the U.S. I acknowledged what was said about children crossing into the U.S. There is no comparison whatsoever. You are correct that people with Ebola - if they crossed into Senegal could probably not make it to Dakar (one of my earlier points). From all reports, the medical facilities in Senegal are not full as they are in neighboring countries. It doesn't matter if they have a name or not. From all accounts that I've read, a person suspected of having Ebola that goes to a medical facility in Senegal, are quarantined as well as everyone they had contact with. This is exactly what happened to the man with Ebola that did make it to Dakar last month. His "contacts" were quarantined until September 20 and when it was determined that they had not been infected. While Senegal may not have the technical expertise of the U.S., they are able to communicate from one hospital to another.

 

If you go to this link http://www.internetworldstats.com/af/sn.htm and scroll down a bit, you will learn the communication capabilities of Senegal.

[HanaleiSailor]

Aloha All,

 

Most of you have far more cruise experience than I do; I lived a good deal of my adult life abroad before moving to Hawaii, and I just took my first cruise a few years ago. However, even with very little cruise experience, I notice that Regent always gives both a mid-cruise and post-cruise survey, and from both what I heard on board and also from some postings I have read here on CC, I believe that Regent certainly reads these surveys (especially the mid-cruise ones), and they do often respond.

 

I think perhaps a simple one question pre-cruise survey for the Senegal itinerary cruise might be appropriate here.

 

Here is the question:

 

1. How would you rate your pre-cruise booking experience and the pre-cruise information provided to you by Regent for this cruise?

 

Excellent

Very Good

Good

Fair

Poor

Extremely Poor

 

I think it would be interesting to see the answers to this question from both those who are currently booked on this cruise and from those of us who have been following this thread and are with you in virtual pre-cruise mode here on CC.

 

I am not on this sailing, but from what I read here through something like 400 posts now, I would have to answer this question: Extremely Poor.

 

I am getting ready to go on my third Regent cruise in less than a month, and here is how I would answer this pre-cruise survey question for my previous/upcoming cruises:

 

2012 cruise: Excellent

2013 cruise: Good

2014 cruise: Very Good (to date docs to arrive soon)

 

How would those of you following this thread answer this pre-cruise survey?

[jongbj]

How many thousands of Central America immigrants did the US get this past year crossing our border (many of them kids)? I know they traveled more that 500 miles. If I lived where there was little health care help to save my family from a dreadful disease, you can bet I'd find a way to get to some place where there were hospitals and Doctors (Senegal). Wouldn't you?

Jerry

 

Naturally, so lets quarantine Arizona when cholera appears in Mexico-city. O, wait, there is cholera in Mexico-city, maybe cruise ships should avoid the US?

 

And when did you start hugging all those kids. Ebola only spreads through body fluids. Don't hug people, you won't get infected, especially in countries that DO NOT have ebola. You might as well avoid Europe, we get a couple of 100 thousand African immigrants every year. Some may come from infected countries..........

[jongbj]

My experience within the public health field and dealing with the early stages of an epidemic in the US lead me to be very sympathetic with the concerns expressed here. That is why I have posted more in this thread than usual.

 

Epidemics affect populations in ways that go far beyond the effect of the disease on the individuals directly infected. To continually try to convince people based on tidbits from the internet that their concerns are over-blown or unwarranted or otherwise unjustified can be very demeaning and disrespectful. Tidbits from here and there do not negate the serious, real concerns that individuals and public health officials have.

 

Public health officials are caught in many dilemmas during epidemics. The best approach to stopping the spread of disease, for example widespread restrictions of one kind or another, may carry huge economic, political, or personal side-effects than can't be wholly justified. So officials try to balance what they know with what they don't know and only impose restrictions that can be reasonably justified based on the latest info about an epidemic.

 

Many of the knowns may change in a few days. Epidemics may spread quickly and sometimes in erratic ways. My guess is that public health officials would prefer that all non-essential travel to endemic and nearby areas be stopped in the case of ebola, but they can't justify that based on what they actually know at this time. One test in an epidemic is to ask officials privately if they would tell a family member to do something and see what they say. They may be far more cautious than public announcements suggest.

 

Passengers on Regent are justified in not wanting to go to Senegal, even if the risk can only be said to be slight or non-existent today. This is a vacation. It is non-essential travel. Who needs this kind of worry, made worse by a cruise line that can't be bothered to respond to its customers and posters who subtly or not so subtly belittle their concerns.

 

Telling people that they are not open to other views seems harsh and untrue to me. Who on this board wishes to not hear that things are fine? What they want is for a public health official who is familiar with the situation on the ground to tell them good news without a bunch of qualifications like porous borders and high risk of transmission. What I assume they don't want is for a non-health professional Regent cheerleader to repeatedly tell them everything is fine and seemingly imply they are deficient for not believing that--or speaking for myself that is what I don't want because things are not fine.

 

It is not a matter of being harsh and untrue, it is a matter of not wanting to feed the mass hysteria that is going on in this thread. If you have public health experience you've should have recognized the symptoms: People panicking over nothing, more people feeding the panic, dismissal of fact if unsupportive of the panic, unreasonable demands. The symptoms are all there: this is mass hysteria, noting more, nothing less.

[TrulyBlonde]

Just waking up in NY and wondering how many of you on this cruise have cruise insurance and could very easily get your family MD to get you a medical excuse for taking this sailing. This is not a vacation :((.....I looked at your itinerary and it is too bad you cannot be in lovely St. Barths for the days you would miss in Africa?....Now that is a Vacation !!

[fizzy]

wonder what the feeling of the crew is on this sailing? There must be some apprehension on their part, either from the Ebola angle or the idea of dealing with a lot of unhappy and anxious customers.

[Responder]

wonder what the feeling of the crew is on this sailing? There must be some apprehension on their part, either from the Ebola angle or the idea of dealing with a lot of unhappy and anxious customers.

 

If this is the treatment Regent gives the passengers who keep them in business, can you imagine that they even care about how the crew feels about it.

[Responder]

Naturally, so lets quarantine Arizona when cholera appears in Mexico-city. O, wait, there is cholera in Mexico-city, maybe cruise ships should avoid the US?

 

And when did you start hugging all those kids. Ebola only spreads through body fluids. Don't hug people, you won't get infected, especially in countries that DO NOT have ebola. You might as well avoid Europe, we get a couple of 100 thousand African immigrants every year. Some may come from infected countries..........

 

I have no idea whether you are on this sailing or not, but it sure gets tiring to keep reading your posts that exhibit absolutely no sympathy toward the feelings of the passengers who are on this cruise.

 

If you look back at your fellow protagonist who prolifically posts in these threads, you will read that she was sorry she was not on this sailing as she would get off and go around hugging the people of Senegal.

[Responder]

Here is today's latest news for us to ponder....

 

=====

 

Lessons learned 6 months into worst Ebola outbreak

 

Sep 23, 4:25 AM (ET)

 

By MARIA CHENG

 

 

LONDON (AP) — Six months into the biggest-ever Ebola outbreak, scientists say they know more about how the potentially lethal virus behaves. The first cases of Ebola in this outbreak were reported in Guinea by the World Health Organization on March 23 — before spreading to Sierra Leone, Liberia and elsewhere. Here's a look at what scientists have learned so far.

 

HOW DIFFERENT IS THIS OUTBREAK?

 

Past outbreaks have all been in rural communities and have typically been snuffed out in weeks or months. But one main difference this time is that it has hit densely packed cities in West Africa, making the current outbreak an international threat. "I always thought Ebola was really bad when it happens, but that it would kill 100 people in a remote part of Africa, and then it's over," said Dr. Peter Piot, the co-discoverer of Ebola. He said the severity of this outbreak could also be linked to the increased movement of people across borders and "more contact with whatever the primary source of Ebola is." The virus' reservoir is thought to be fruit bats, considered a delicacy in some parts of Africa. In a study released Tuesday by the New England Journal of Medicine, the World Health Organization said it was possible there could be almost 21,000 Ebola cases by early November and that cases could continue to trickle out for years if there is no change in current containment measures.

 

WILL THIS OUTBREAK JUST BURN ITSELF OUT?

 

Yes, but that's a worst case scenario. If control measures don't work, at some point, Ebola will have infected everyone who hasn't already been killed or recovered from the virus and there won't be enough people to maintain the virus' spread, said Dr. Bruce Aylward, WHO assistant director-general in charge of emergencies. He said the next few months are crucial to curbing transmission. "As this outbreak continues, the sheer caseload will make it much more difficult to get people isolated and into beds," he said. "The way Ebola has spread so far, it's hard to believe it will just die out," added Dr. Heinz Feldmann, chief of virology at the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. "At some point it will, but how long is that going to take and how many people have to die for that to happen?" he said. "That's out of my imagination."

 

IS EBOLA BECOMING MORE INFECTIOUS?

 

We don't know. Experts say it's difficult to assess that in the current outbreak since there may be so many issues involved. It's possible the virus has become more infectious than before — which might explain the spiraling caseload — but it's also possible health workers aren't properly protected or so overworked that they are making more mistakes, leading to infection. There has also been more physical violence involving patients, many of whom are still suspicious of Western aid workers. This has led to risky situations that might increase the chances of getting infected, said Michael Osterholm, a professor at the University of Minnesota who advises the U.S. government on infectious diseases. Scientists have also noted hundreds of mutations in the virus so far but aren't sure what that means, since viruses evolve constantly.

 

CAN ANYTHING BE DONE FOR PATIENTS WHO AREN'T IN A HOSPITAL?

 

Maybe. Given the scarcity of hospital beds, health officials say we shouldn't just focus on patients being treated in clinics, as has been the case in the past. Some groups have started handing out basic protection kits they admit are woefully inadequate but better than nothing. Agencies including UNICEF, USAID and Doctors Without Borders have started giving out tens of thousands of Ebola kits, including gloves, aprons, face masks and garbage bags in Liberia, the worst-hit country. WHO has noted water and soap are still unavailable in some parts of West Africa. "It's a tragic situation so we are helping arm people with the best possible solution in a worst-case scenario when all else fails," said Sarah Crowe, a UNICEF spokeswoman in Liberia. "So if they are going to have to use plastic bags to wipe up vomit of a sick person, then there is a correct method, dipping them in chlorine, before and after, vigilant removal and then burn after use," she said. The American aid agency, USAID, says only about half of Ebola patients are seeking treatment, so the kits and information about the disease are indispensable to fighting the outbreak.

 

---

 

Associated Press Writer Sarah DiLorenzo in Dakar, Senegal, contributed to this report.

[msafiri]

There are 3 themes to this thread:

 

1) Should Regent cancel its stop in Senegal based on concerns for passenger safety because of the Ebola virus?

There have been views presented on both sides of this question. I have no opinion & don’t need to form one since I am not going. I can’t imagine that Regent would put passengers & crew in harm’s way. Even if they don’t care about customers or crew, I am certain they care about shareholders and the financial risk if someone got a serious illness from this stop is huge. If Regent does decide to cancel based on the same information other cruise lines used to cancel their stops, Regent could certainly be faulted for slow decision making. If Regent decides it’s safe to stop & if in fact that means they can’t stop at Cape Verde, they could also be faulted for slow decision making.

 

2) Is Regent doing an adequate job communicating to passengers?

I think the jury is in on this one & maybe with one exception, the overwhelming opinion is that Regent is doing a horrible job. If passengers perceive there is a threat, perception is reality to these passengers & Regent should provide more information than they have. I don’t think Regent should use this board to communicate. There are lots of other credible channels. At the risk of being struck by lightning or threatened with legal action, I would also add that this is a failure of leadership at Regent.

 

3) What can be done about our frustration with another poster?

I have been guilty of expressing frustration that did not add any value. I have recently concluded that I can’t change another poster (particularly if that poster doesn’t want to change.) I can only change myself. So, I have implemented the “ignore” feature of CC. So far, it seems to be working for me. I have not thrown anything at the walls, stayed awake in the middle of the night, or taken a double dose of my blood pressure medication. You can still see posts of people on your ignore list if they are quoted by another poster, but I have disciplined myself to ignore these posts too. I highly recommend this feature. It saves time & reduces stress.

[cruisr]

There are 3 themes to this thread:

 

1) Should Regent cancel its stop in Senegal based on concerns for passenger safety because of the Ebola virus?

There have been views presented on both sides of this question. I have no opinion & don’t need to form one since I am not going. I can’t imagine that Regent would put passengers & crew in harm’s way. Even if they don’t care about customers or crew, I am certain they care about shareholders and the financial risk if someone got a serious illness from this stop is huge. If Regent does decide to cancel based on the same information other cruise lines used to cancel their stops, Regent could certainly be faulted for slow decision making. If Regent decides it’s safe to stop & if in fact that means they can’t stop at Cape Verde, they could also be faulted for slow decision making.

 

2) Is Regent doing an adequate job communicating to passengers?

I think the jury is in on this one & maybe with one exception, the overwhelming opinion is that Regent is doing a horrible job. If passengers perceive there is a threat, perception is reality to these passengers & Regent should provide more information than they have. I don’t think Regent should use this board to communicate. There are lots of other credible channels. At the risk of being struck by lightning or threatened with legal action, I would also add that this is a failure of leadership at Regent.

 

3) What can be done about our frustration with another poster?

I have been guilty of expressing frustration that did not add any value. I have recently concluded that I can’t change another poster (particularly if that poster doesn’t want to change.) I can only change myself. So, I have implemented the “ignore” feature of CC. So far, it seems to be working for me. I have not thrown anything at the walls, stayed awake in the middle of the night, or taken a double dose of my blood pressure medication. You can still see posts of people on your ignore list if they are quoted by another poster, but I have disciplined myself to ignore these posts too. I highly recommend this feature. It saves time & reduces stress.

 

that is a great suggestion and will result in reading a much more balanced forum. I'm going to do it.

[Travelcat2]

I will be on the cruise before the one discussed in this thread and will be speaking with crew members as well as officers. If there is not a major crew change in Lisbon, they will be on your cruise. As has been said -- Regent would not put their crew or passengers at risk.