Ebola

[paul929207]

I would probably turn around, say something like Oh no, and leave!

I don't like the buffets on ships (except on Oceania where they serve you in the buffet), but when I eat there, I take food from the back on which - hopefully - nobody has coughed.

In my experience, you cannot prevent people from spreading flu and cold germs. I have sat at a breakfast table where somebody coughed all over the table and somebody else on the same ship coughed right into my face in the narrow hallway. In Asia, the people afflicted with colds wear face masks.

In the major cities in China everyone wears a face mask. However, it is because of the smog.

[sail7seas]

No i asked the capt of the ncl breakaway during the qa portion, all crew members from all african nations were removed and sent on vacation untill the us calms down in there fears.

 

The point Cruiser Bruce was making is that perhaps NCL has mostly Filipino crew but other cruise lines do not.

 

While HAL has bar staff from Philippines, they have far more crew from Indonesia.

 

I have no idea the nationality of majority crew on Celebrity or Princess etc but you cannot make a blanket statement about the majority of crew and apply it to all cruise lines.

 

[ellasmomanddad]

I dont think its a blank statement when a captain of a major cruise line says to 4k passengers we sent all crew members on vacation from africa even in parts that are not affected, as it pertains to the op topic. There were 1000 first sail crew members from the Philippines and 100 from Columbia so its not a blank statement but a fact. This thread got hijacked by people who dont want people to breath near them and you dont respond.

[ellasmomanddad]

I also said the cruise line and ship and never portrayed it to be every cruise line just stated my experience

[grandmarnnurse]

Any suggestions how to politely tell those people to cough in the crook of their arm instead of their hands? Especially those in the buffet queue? I don't want to sound offensive but I also don't want to have their virus/bacteria transferred to me. :eek:

 

I bring my own bottles of hand sanitizer, and avail myself of shipboard offers of hand sanitizer before I dine.

 

I may not be so polite--I would tell them to step away from the buffet and sanitize their hands before touching any serving utencils. But as I said before, as an RN and a germa phobe myself, I have no problem telling my husband that I don't think he washed his hands long enough! LOL (he kinda gets pissed!) It's from too many years in the healthcare field, and knowing what I know. Any time I need to touch a door handle in public area--sanitize! Anytime I touch ANYTHING anyone else has touched--sanitize! Grocery carts---sanitize!!

[Donray]

In the major cities in China everyone wears a face mask. However, it is because of the smog.

 

When were you in China? When I was there most people do not ware a face mask.

[Kingofcool1947]

When were you in China? When I was there most people do not ware a face mask.

 

When were you in China? I was in Beijing last year, and many Chinese wore face masks.

 

http://zidbits.com/2011/12/why-is-common-to-see-people-wearing-surgical-masks-in-asian-countries/

[sail7seas]

Maybe the air quality varies and according to how good or bad it is when each of you visited. Chinese people may or may not have worn face masks.

[dsrdsrdsr]

In Asia, the people afflicted with colds wear face masks.

Bit of an over-generalisation there, I think. I've been to Israel and to Turkey, and didn't see anyone wearing face masks in either place.

 

As for how to tell people not to cough in their hands - how about shouting "Wipe your nose on your sleeve, you mucky pup!" :rolleyes:

[Donray]

When were you in China? I was in Beijing last year, and many Chinese wore face masks.

 

http://zidbits.com/2011/12/why-is-common-to-see-people-wearing-surgical-masks-in-asian-countries/

 

Many is not everyone like someone said. I saw a few in Beijing and a less in other cities two years ago. Will under 1% looking at my pictures.

 

Tiananmen Square had no one with a mask out of thousands and it was a smoggy day.

 

I was just correcting the person that never been China that not everyone (like he says) wares a mask.

[cruzeluver]

Thats why your passport gets a sticker or stamp you cant lie

 

 

Not sure what you are referring to. In nearly 20 cruise have not received any stamp or sticker on my passport.

[Donray]

Because of the mortality rate, which is anywhere between 50% and 90%. That makes it scarier to most people.

 

Anyone remember AIDS that is fatal????

 

Why not all the discussion about banning gays? How the question before boarding if you have had sex with the same sex and a paid provider and if they have don't let them board? After all the red cross does it to give blood.

 

Aids kills more in the USA then Ebola and I think in the world.

[dsrdsrdsr]

Thats why your passport gets a sticker or stamp you cant lie

 

If anyone wants to turn over all 32 pages of my passport and read all the stamps in it (I have about a dozen, mostly from the USA) they will find out I was in The Gambia last February. They will not, however, find out that I was in Senegal as well - I didn't get a stamp there. So checking the passport isn't a reliable test for who's been where, and the vast increase in processing time to get people through customs isn't going to make the policy popular.

[sparks1093]

Anyone remember AIDS that is fatal????

 

Why not all the discussion about banning gays? How the question before boarding if you have had sex with the same sex and a paid provider and if they have don't let them board? After all the red cross does it to give blood.

 

Aids kills more in the USA then Ebola and I think in the world.

 

Probably not, the general public's attention span and memory are about that of a two year old.

[Morisnfan]

I am the same way! As I said in an earlier post, I am a germa phobe, also, and brought several bottles of hand sanitizer on my last cruise because of fear of the Noro virus. I, too, get upset with thoughtless, careless individuals that don't think about infection control. I do not fear the Ebola virus--at this point--because I know how hard it is to actually catch. We all just need to keep a level head and practice good infection control matters. There are other virus' out there that you are more prone to get on a cruise ship, with that many people in a closed environment.

 

 

I'm a bit squeamish about germ too, especially in buffet lines. We bought special sanitizers for hands that kill norovirus our last cruise because I read so much how regular sanitizers don't do enough. I always re-sanitize after getting to table before eating. Paranoid, yes, but it's really not much trouble and me and hubby stayed healthy. Of course we also brought the super wipes for room surfaces. Not fearing Ebola at all though, it seems so unlikely that it would get onto a ship.

 

 

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[grandmarnnurse]

I'm a bit squeamish about germ too, especially in buffet lines. We bought special sanitizers for hands that kill norovirus our last cruise because I read so much how regular sanitizers don't do enough. I always re-sanitize after getting to table before eating. Paranoid, yes, but it's really not much trouble and me and hubby stayed healthy. Of course we also brought the super wipes for room surfaces. Not fearing Ebola at all though, it seems so unlikely that it would get onto a ship.

 

 

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You sound just like me!! Where did you find the special sanitizer? And I, too, bring sanitizer wipes!

You may have read from my earlier posts that I am an RN. I remember the days prior to AIDS---never even wore gloves handling blood and other bodily fluids!! Boy, were we terrified to even take care of an AIDS patient! Here I am--years later--after taking care of countless HIV + individuals. Knowledge of good infection control practices will help us all remain healthy--without panic. The likely hood of catching Ebola on a cruise ship is very remote, but influenza and NORO virus, among other things, warrants us all to be vigilant with good hand washing, etc.

[chengkp75]

You sound just like me!! Where did you find the special sanitizer? And I, too, bring sanitizer wipes!

You may have read from my earlier posts that I am an RN. I remember the days prior to AIDS---never even wore gloves handling blood and other bodily fluids!! Boy, were we terrified to even take care of an AIDS patient! Here I am--years later--after taking care of countless HIV + individuals. Knowledge of good infection control practices will help us all remain healthy--without panic. The likely hood of catching Ebola on a cruise ship is very remote, but influenza and NORO virus, among other things, warrants us all to be vigilant with good hand washing, etc.

 

If you read the advertising claims, many of the "wipes" are "effective against noro". They have been tested against feline calicivirus, which is genetically similar to human noro, but since calicivirus can be grown in vitro, while noro can't, there is no real evidence that efficacy on one translates to the other. Even wipes that have active ingredients that are effective against noro, most do not have it in sufficient strength, and as an RN, you are well aware of "contact time", which 90% of users don't follow. If you want a list of agents that the EPA says are effective against noro, look at their website, it's there, and there are almost no consumer products listed.

[Floridiana]

and as an RN, you are well aware of "contact time", which 90% of users don't follow.

 

What is 'contact time'? Does it refer to washing your hands with soap and water long enough to be effective?

[chengkp75]

What is 'contact time'? Does it refer to washing your hands with soap and water long enough to be effective?

 

Contact time is the time that the active ingredient needs to be in contact with the virus or bacteria to effectively kill it. For many of the consumer products, this involves a time where the skin must be "wet" with the product, and in many cases exceeds a minute.

 

Remember, washing with soap and water does nothing to "kill" a virus, and anti-bacterial soaps are only partially effective at "killing" bacteria. Soap is a lubricant, that is it's major function. It breaks the surface tension between viruses and dead skin cells (the outer layer of skin) and the inner layer. The skin cells and viruses and bacteria are washed away by the rinse water, not killed. This is why most hand sanitizers are ineffective, all you have done is move the virus around on your hands, and unless you rinse or wipe them afterwards with a towel, they are still on your skin.

[herbanrenewal]

Knowledge of good infection control practices will help us all remain healthy--without panic. The likely hood of catching Ebola on a cruise ship is very remote, but influenza and NORO virus, among other things, warrants us all to be vigilant with good hand washing, etc.

 

The likelihood of catching ebola DOES NOT EXIST unless YOU come in contact with body fluids of someone with exposure + symptoms. Unlike noro and the flu where the person can be infectious before identifiable symptoms exist.

 

This is why I am so upset about quarantine for contacts - CONTACTS with NO SIGN OF INFECTION CAN NOT SPREAD EBOLA!!

What if someone with fever and travel to affected area came to your community hospital. How many healthcare workers will volunteer to care for this patient? Knowing that there are people who will want you to be quarentined for 3 weeks if the patient tests positive? And quarentine means no work. which means no pay? Even if you are not infected or able to spread the disease?

 

Instead of overreacting with fear we should get better informed as to all common sense approaches to maintaining our own health.

 

I totally agree with grandmarnnurse. Use basic sanitation and hygeine and enjoy your cruise (and your life)

[sail7seas]

CDC is now saying droplets from sneezes and coughs can spread the disease. It only makes sense that is the case. One would have to be standing/sitting very close to the ill person in order to be infected by their droplets but those bodily fluids can infect if they enter eyes, ears, nose or mouth of bystander.

 

Edited November 1, 2014 by sail7seas

[Katgoesonholiday]

CDC is now saying droplets from sneezes and coughs can spread the disease - fortunately these aren't common symptoms of Ebola. It only makes sense that is the case. One would have to be standing/sitting very close to the SERIOUSLY ill person who is showing severe and unmistakable symptoms in order to be infected by their droplets but those bodily fluids can infect if they enter eyes, ears, nose or mouth of bystander. Thankfully this is only likely at the end stage of the illness when the viral load in bodily fluids is very high - so will generally only be of relevance healthcare workers.

 

 

I've corrected your post for you. No thanks necessary. :)

[Sue Do-Over]

Those traveling out of European ports have passports... even for closed-loop cruises. Think about how often they need to use them in general.

 

Lying on the questionnaire and taking advil or tylenol to mask a fever ... that happens now with flu and noro symptoms. TSA is using forehead thermometers now, but some reports say that they register as much as 20 degrees low, rendering them useless.

[sail7seas]

I've corrected your post for you. No thanks necessary. :)

 

Wow....... :D :D

 

 

[Donray]

Probably not, the general public's attention span and memory are about that of a two year old.

 

It appears that way from all the Ebola stuff and nothing about AIDS, Flu, etc.

 

I guess everyone forgets how many people die of AIDS every year and yet they don't ask the questions about sex activity to determine if you should board a ship.

 

Also, lets see we have had one die of Ebola and so far I think at least five that recovered here. Seems the death rate is will below 20%.