Ebola Virus

[CI66774]

Chikungunya is not nearly as deadly as Ebola. I know someone who got Chikungunya a couple of weeks ago, and after a couple of days she was out and about again!

 

Stepping off of a curb and getting hit by a Mack truck is much more likely than Ebola and just as deadly.

[smoosh21]

Stepping off of a curb and getting hit by a Mack truck is much more likely than Ebola and just as deadly.

 

I am glad to see that common sense seems to be winning out here.

[cdwh1902]

I am Australian and there are NO current cases of Ebola in Australia. There was a nurse who returned, self quarantined ,had a low grade temp and went to hospital as a precaution . She proved to be negative within 24 hours and has since been discharged.

 

I think everyone has to settle down, get their facts straight and act accordingly.

 

Mass hysteria based on Chinese whispers does no one any favours. I'm sure that all tourist operators have precautions and procedures in place.

[abridalmaven]

Really?

 

Im a health care worker myself and would never consider cancelling a trip because of this.You have a better chance of you plane crashing enroute to the port then "catching" ebola.You are most definately over reacting.But with the way the news portrays this everyday its the news stations that are putting the fear of god into people.

 

 

I agree. I don't have any cruises booked but a trip to Disney next summer. I am more afraid of catching the flu fro messy kids but it will not stop me from going.

[Oville]

Well...there are usually quite a few staff from South Africa, and I remember seeing someone from Zimbabwe. So technically there are crew members from Africa but not western parts of Africa (not in my memory, anyway).

 

You might have mentioned well over 3000 miles away.

[RDC1]

I don't know where you got your information but there was ONE suspected Ebola case in Cairns, Australia and after two tests, both of which were negative, she has been cleared.

 

There has been 11 people tested in Australia. All have had negative results. According to an article today in the Australian. The nurse tested negative, though she has not yet been back for the full 21 days yet and will be in quarantine until that period has expired.

Edited October 13, 2014 by RDC1

[skylight]

Oh Well if everyone is scared of Ebola imagine how empty the cruise will be!!! Plenty of chairs by the pool and no lines anywhere:D

[joandian]

There has been 11 people tested in Australia. All have had negative results. According to an article today in the Australian. The nurse tested negative, though she has not yet been back for the full 21 days yet and will be in quarantine until that period has expired.

 

I checked and you correct. Only one has been on the news as possible Ebola and is negative. Having agreed with you, having 11 negative tests is very different to what the poster, who I replied to, saying that Australia has Ebola patients. Australia doesn't!

[Danem7683]

Wow some catty comments here! Play nice children.. Tut tut.

[delirious9876]

Wow some catty comments here! Play nice children.. Tut tut.

Ha ha ha !!! :) :) :)

 

I liked your comments - made me laugh and the word that sprung to mind was "exactly"

[flpab]

Everyone has fears and if you are fearful then cancel. I worked at an airport for many years. Yes I always take a Clorox wipe and clean my arm rest, seat buckle and tray table. I know how unsanitary it is but deal with it by wiping down my area. I wipe down certain objects in hotels and cruise ships and then go about my day and enjoy! You can't stop living.

[drguzmangarcia]

Wow some catty comments here! Play nice children.. Tut tut.

 

Very well said!

[Ocean Boy]

Stooping so low as to pick on someone's spelling to oppress and/or ridicule them :(

 

Not nice :(

 

Aside from picking on the spelling she did raise some pretty valid points. Practice medicine long enough and one developes a very healthy respect for the microbial world. I have seen it ravage bodies and do it quite quickly at that.

 

This is a very controversial issue right now and there is hardly consensus in the medical community about how to proceed. But I am sure that our all knowing government will take some "feel good" measures like pointing temperature guns at people in airports to make folks think that they are at least doing something to keep us all safe just as the TSA making my grandmother take off her shoes before flying is helping to keep everyone on the airplane safe.

 

Some of the comments on this thread have been quite interesting. You have a better chance of catching the common cold than you do of getting Ebola. Well, I don't worry much about getting the common cold even though I know there is a high chance that I will get one this winter. The reason that I don't worry about it is that I am quite confident that I will survive it. My chances of getting Ebola are much lower but my chances of surviving it are not quite so bright. If someone walks into my office with symptoms of the flu the chances are that is what they have. But if it is something more than that before I can even ask if they have travelled anywhere my office is already contaminated. The same is true for any ER in the country, or the world for that matter, that a sick person walks into.

 

As for precautions, I don't know why the American doctor and nurse contracted the disease in Africa. I don't know why the nurse in Texas contracted the disease. Was there a break down in using proper protocols or is the issue with the protocols themselves? We certainly know what the CDC's position is on the matter. This is, however, the same CDC that recently had issues with the storage of microbial specimens that it keeps on hand for research.

 

I don't profess to have the answers which is why I have held back from posting to this thread. Physicians who are much brighter than I don't seem to have the answers and are in disagreement with each other. But since I don't have the answers I am going to back off of this thread and let the more knowing tell us all about how we should proceed.

[drguzmangarcia]

Aside from picking on the spelling she did raise some pretty valid points. Practice medicine long enough and one developes a very healthy respect for the microbial world. I have seen it ravage bodies and do it quite quickly at that.

 

This is a very controversial issue right now and there is hardly consensus in the medical community about how to proceed. But I am sure that our all knowing government will take some "feel good" measures like pointing temperature guns at people in airports to make folks think that they are at least doing something to keep us all safe just as the TSA making my grandmother take off her shoes before flying is helping to keep everyone on the airplane safe.

 

Some of the comments on this thread have been quite interesting. You have a better chance of catching the common cold than you do of getting Ebola. Well, I don't worry much about getting the common cold even though I know there is a high chance that I will get one this winter. The reason that I don't worry about it is that I am quite confident that I will survive it. My chances of getting Ebola are much lower but my chances of surviving it are not quite so bright. If someone walks into my office with symptoms of the flu the chances are that is what they have. But if it is something more than that before I can even ask if they have travelled anywhere my office is already contaminated. The same is true for any ER in the country, or the world for that matter, that a sick person walks into.

 

As for precautions, I don't know why the American doctor and nurse contracted the disease in Africa. I don't know why the nurse in Texas contracted the disease. Was there a break down in using proper protocols or is the issue with the protocols themselves? We certainly know what the CDC's position is on the matter. This is, however, the same CDC that recently had issues with the storage of microbial specimens that it keeps on hand for research.

 

I don't profess to have the answers which is why I have held back from posting to this thread. Physicians who are much brighter than I don't seem to have the answers and are in disagreement with each other. But since I don't have the answers I am going to back off of this thread and let the more knowing tell us all about how we should proceed.

 

Excellent answer from a sensitive and intelligent colleague.

[Host Kewlguy]

Let's keep this discussion on topic as it relates to cruising, itinerary changes, industry practices, etc.

[travelberlin]

Well...there are usually quite a few staff from South Africa, and I remember seeing someone from Zimbabwe. So technically there are crew members from Africa but not western parts of Africa (not in my memory, anyway).

 

And yeah, I'm much more worried about flu and noro when I travel (whether by air or by cruise ship). I don't have the energy or the time to worry about ebola...

 

From Zimbabwe? A land locked country? That is interesting. In which itinerary did you see this crew member?

I have met crew members from South Africa, from Mauritius, from Cape Verde on ships. But it is not the crew that worries me in case of any contagious diseases, but the passengers. So often we have been in ships in which passengers were coughing like world champions, and using their hands to mitigate the coughing. Same hands that they later used to have second servins at the buffet.

Better not think about.

Edited October 13, 2014 by travelberlin

[Ocean Boy]

From Zimbabwe? A land locked country? That is interesting. In which itinerary did you see this crew member?

I have only met South Africans.

 

What difference does it make if someone's home country is landlocked or not?:confused:

[CRUISEFAN0001]

We would agree with many of the other posters that this is a legitimate and significant issue - especially in the context of travel and cruising.

 

That said, we also agree with the others who have indicated that things are still at the early stages of assessment and action items. Even the experts are still adjusting to new data and experiences.

 

It's a topic worthy of monitoring, not panicking.

[phoenix_dream]

IMHO it is a situation worth being aware of and monitoring, but certainly not a time to panic or cancel a cruise. Just as an aside, Clorox wipes do not contain the same chemicals as Clorox bleach. To the person who mentioned this originally, was it stated that Clorox kills the virus? If so, then Clorox wipes might not. That is true of norovirus - bleach kills it, the wipes you can buy do not (although there is belief they provide some amount of help - all this per the CDC).

 

I personally do not hold much belief in any of the statements to-date as to how it can be transmitted, how long it lives, etc., etc.. Not enough is known yet. If it truly must be direct contact with fluids of an infected person that somehow can make it into the human body, then despite news reports to the contrary it is hard to believe that nurse just did not properly follow procedures and thereby caught the disease. Call me cynical, but I think that is just being said right now to avoid panic. Even if the protective garments were somehow not exactly removed properly, it is a real stretch to think that whatever virus was on those garments somehow got into the system of that nurse. Just sayin'.

 

It is true that the difference between worrying about catching noro or the common cold versus Ebola is feeling crappy for a few days versus having your days ended forever. HUGE difference IMHO. At the same time, to cancel a cruise or even a flight at this time seems a bit severe a reaction. Should the disease continue to spread through travel, then of course my opinion changes. I am a big critic of news channels in general as they love a big story and will do all they can to help create one out of nothing, but over time this virus could in fact become catastrophic. Let us hope it does not, but in the meantime, keep calm and carry on.:)

[AlanFromFL]

Personally I'm much more concerned about the impending Zombie Apocalypse...does anyone know what RCCL's plan are for dealing with passengers who 'turn' prior to embarkation...will the usual cancellation policy remain in place? What about zombies aboard ship? Will they be allowed in the MDR without shoes, shirt, and assorted body parts? :p

[travelberlin]

IMHO it is a situation worth being aware of and monitoring, but certainly not a time to panic or cancel a cruise. Just as an aside, Clorox wipes do not contain the same chemicals as Clorox bleach. To the person who mentioned this originally, was it stated that Clorox kills the virus? If so, then Clorox wipes might not. That is true of norovirus - bleach kills it, the wipes you can buy do not (although there is belief they provide some amount of help - all this per the CDC).

 

I personally do not hold much belief in any of the statements to-date as to how it can be transmitted, how long it lives, etc., etc.. Not enough is known yet. If it truly must be direct contact with fluids of an infected person that somehow can make it into the human body, then despite news reports to the contrary it is hard to believe that nurse just did not properly follow procedures and thereby caught the disease. Call me cynical, but I think that is just being said right now to avoid panic. Even if the protective garments were somehow not exactly removed properly, it is a real stretch to think that whatever virus was on those garments somehow got into the system of that nurse. Just sayin'.

 

It is true that the difference between worrying about catching noro or the common cold versus Ebola is feeling crappy for a few days versus having your days ended forever. HUGE difference IMHO. At the same time, to cancel a cruise or even a flight at this time seems a bit severe a reaction. Should the disease continue to spread through travel, then of course my opinion changes. I am a big critic of news channels in general as they love a big story and will do all they can to help create one out of nothing, but over time this virus could in fact become catastrophic. Let us hope it does not, but in the meantime, keep calm and carry on.:)

Very good post. Thank you.

[nursewurmy]

And to finish your sentence.... who they believe broke from protocol when taking the protective gear off. It needs to be taken off and handled very carefully too, so they think that's where something went wrong.

 

They r making an guess at that. No proof protocol was broken. It is an attempt to prevent fear.

[Doc Rick]

The WHO just reported that Ebola is killing 70% of people that become infected with the virus, and they expect 10,000 new cases per week by early December. This is an epidemic, not only is it not good for the travel industry, but not good for mankind...

 

It is in a class far from the common cold or flu and it is not a joking matter. It should not be taken lightly - people are dying every day, and 10,000 new cases per week is unimaginable.

 

- Doc

[Capella Black]

"1.3 million people die in road crashes each year" http://www.asirt.org/initiatives/informing-road-users/road-safety-facts/road-crash-statistics.aspx

 

Until Ebola is as likely to kill me as driving to my cruise, I'm going to assume the best.

[Doc Rick]

Keeping this topic related to "cruises" This is interesting...

 

http://www.cnbc.com/id/102083623