Things we do to prevent Norovirus

[blizzardboy]

I thought it might be interesting to start a thread about the things we all do to prevent Norovirus.

 

I start by carrying wipes with me and wipe down tray and armrests in the airplane. When we get to our cabin, I wipe down that too. I give special attention to the bathroom, bedside tables and the remote.

 

I have a cover for my toothbrush so the room steward doesn't touch it.

 

I don't use the ice from the ice bucket in our room. I'm not sure these are changed between cruises.

 

I also don't let the stewards in the Lido carry my food or get me anything. They clean up other peoples dirty dishes and don't wash their hands. I know the same thing happens in restaurants but it isn't such a closed community.

 

Of course, I wash my hands like crazy every chance I get. Use the gel too but really think the hand washing is what does the trick.

 

Just a start. What do you do?

 

Are you related to Felix Unger? :)

[PatsyAnne]

Wash my hands often and really, really try to keep from touching my face.

[cabinluvn]

I think drinking liquids with ice would apply to third world countries, not on the ship

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[2ptu/000]

Are you related to Felix Unger? :)

 

Actually, I'm normally pretty easy going about germs. My husband isn't in the best health and I do try to do everything I can to keep him from getting sick when we are traveling. Just such a miserable time to get sick.

 

I'm sorry if it looked like I was blaming the crew for the spread of Noro. I didn't meal that at all. I think they are wonderful. They just work so hard.

 

I'm a nurse and we used to swab Neosporin in people's noses pre op. So I don't think it can be particularly harmful.

 

Interesting to hear what people do to prevent Noro. Yes, we wash our hands and keep or hands away from our faces.

[summer slope]

I think drinking liquids with ice would apply to third world countries, not on the ship

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

My comment was following another about third world countries...not the ship. Sorry for the confusion.

[AV8rix]

I do all of the usual stuff....never touch handrails, never use public restrooms, wash frequently, disinfect my stateroom upon arrival,etc etc.

 

But here's something else: I'm a blackjack player. I wear latex gloves in the casino, never touch those chips directly! I disregard strange looks from other players. I don't play slots, but I suppose if I did, I would also wear gloves.

 

Uh, before returning to school for aero engineering in mid life, I spent the first 17 years of my working life as a clinical microbiologist. Just so's ya know :):):).

[Grandpaul]

I always bring a couple containers of hand sanitizer from the hospital I work at and use if often. I got the norovirus once and that was over 50 cruises ago and after that I started using the sanitizer and have been fine since.

[xlxo]

The biggest thing that helped me reduce sick days in the office is to use my drying paper towel from my hands to open public restroom doors upon exiting.

 

Cruise ships carry international travellers and every country has different standards for cleanliness. I'm amazed how poorly fellow travellers wash their hands racing to be first out the door.

• http://www.marketwatch.com/story/6-most-hygienic-cruise-lines-2014-01-30
  
• http://www.shipdetective.com/ships/cdc/cdc_index_2015.htm
  

[zoncom]

It is caused by fecal matter period. I see Senior ladies not washing their hands after public bathroom use often.Bet gentlemen the same.I had it in my home town, a resort too. It usually lasts 3 days, not 24 hours.It was the worst pain I ever had in my life, skin even hurt. On board, I only use public restrooms rarely.It seems they do not pay much attention to door knobs which I am sure is a big source of Noro germs.

[scm1848]

I will pick something I drop off my airplane tray and eat it. I hold on to all handrails. I use public restrooms, and unless I have "contaminated" my hand by wiping, do not wash my hands afterwards. What have I touched, but the flusher and the toilet paper? I will eat anything in the Lido the staff serves or brings to me. We spend 3 weeks in Mexico every year, and drink drinks with ice. I have eaten off banana leaves at a housewarming in Sulawesi with my fingers, served by who knows.

 

I am a 67 year old chain smoker, who hasn't even had a cold in 7 years. Maybe it's just a good immune system, built upon by a very healthy diet, the "true bones" of our whole body. Sometimes, I think we worry ourselves into sickness, literally.

[knittinggirl]

Main thing for us -- WASH HANDS!!

 

I have to carry my own Purell as it has aloe in it. The ship's Purell doesn't and one time I had a problem using it so much that my hands dried and bled.

 

We touch as little as possible.

I carry a small moisturizer tube in my pocket and use it right after the gel treatment forced on me. I say forced, because I told them I had just washed my hands, and they insisted on the gel anyway. We also bring an 8 ounce bottle of moisturizer for the hotel room.

 

I use lip moisture in tubes instead of in tubs. I also use the corner of the seapass card to press the elevator buttons if they're not temperature sensitive, and the knuckle if they are.

 

If the ship's embarkation is delayed due to norovirus, I don't bother wiping my room, because I figure they did a good job.

 

I rub my eyes and nose with a handkerchief.

 

I also wipe down the airline tray, tray knob, hand rests, and will add the seatbelt to the list. I never dive into the seat pocket, because I hear that's where parents stash diapers. Instead of playing around climbing into overhead bins, the flight attendants should be cleaning between the flights.

 

The tv remote goes in a plastic bag. In fact, the plastic ziplocs that the CruiseCritic luggage tag holders are perfect!

 

When I came down with norovirus on Legend of the Seas (I think it was food poisoning from a street trailer in Amsterdam), I noticed they had a yellow magnetic dot stuck to the top of the door frame, which my cabin steward told me it would remain there until the end of the cruise. This one was about 2-3" in diameter, but I also noticed some on Celebrity that were about an inch in Diameter.

 

On our last B2B, we had norovirus on both Princess and Celebrity.

Edited September 13, 2015 by knittinggirl

[retdon]

I have always been aware of contagious diseases as a public health nurse who had to investigate and report a lot of them.

 

1998 on the Zenith, I cleaned the cabin, or so I thought and 3 days before the end of our 10 day cruise at 8pm on evening I was in the ship hospital with the worst vomiting and diarrhea of my life. Overnight in the hospital with I.V.s and then confined to the cabin for the duration of the cruise. Thank goodness my DH did not catch it, it is a contact not air borne spread virus.

 

Since then, I am still cleaning the cabin, use the knuckle for elevator buttons, carry Germ X wipes and use constantly, especially after playing games in the casino.

 

Wash, wash, wash those hands, scrub in between the fingers with a good lather and use a paper towel to open the door. The doors to a restroom are suppose to open out so you just have to push with your arm.

 

Keep your hands away from your face. Hope you never have it, one of the worst experiences I have ever been through and so far so good. I practice what I preach even at home when we go out to eat, shopping, etc. Did you know it was more common in schools, hospitals and nursing homes? Just think that everything you touch is "nasty"....:eek:

[knittinggirl]

I have always been aware of contagious diseases as a public health nurse who had to investigate and report a lot of them.

 

1998 on the Zenith, I cleaned the cabin, or so I thought and 3 days before the end of our 10 day cruise at 8pm on evening I was in the ship hospital with the worst vomiting and diarrhea of my life. Overnight in the hospital with I.V.s and then confined to the cabin for the duration of the cruise. Thank goodness my DH did not catch it, it is a contact not air borne spread virus.

 

Since then, I am still cleaning the cabin, use the knuckle for elevator buttons, carry Germ X wipes and use constantly, especially after playing games in the casino.

 

Wash, wash, wash those hands, scrub in between the fingers with a good lather and use a paper towel to open the door. The doors to a restroom are suppose to open out so you just have to push with your arm.

 

Keep your hands away from your face. Hope you never have it, one of the worst experiences I have ever been through and so far so good. I practice what I preach even at home when we go out to eat, shopping, etc. Did you know it was more common in schools, hospitals and nursing homes? Just think that everything you touch is "nasty"....:eek:

Sounds like we both had the same bug. With the vomiting and diarrhea simultaneously. And my stomach was sore for a few days after. I lost weight on that cruise!

[iancal]

We avoid the buffet. When we do go we do not bother with self serve items.

 

We do not use the public restrooms on a ship

 

We don't use the handrails on the staircase

 

We wash our hands vigorously several times a day and we keep our hands away from our mouthes

 

So far, so good.

 

But, in reading a number of articles, our good luck may also be attributable to our blood type.

Edited September 13, 2015 by iancal

[wander]

Regarding gloves in the casino. I understand your thought process - but be sure you do not inadvertently touch your face, mouth, nose eye - whatever - with your gloved hand. So much of face, mouth, nose, eye touching is not intentional - but automatic because of an itch or such.

 

You do present another good reason why I stay out of the casino.

[boscobeans]

We use Alpet D2 spray when we get to our stateroom. EVERY SURFACE.

Wash hands and use sanitizer gels.

Remember to use gels or wipes after adjusting our chairs and after using salt, pepper or table sweetner holders before eating.

Hands and mouths don't mix.

 

bosco

[OlsSalt]

Hand contamination considerations only:

 

When thinking of surface decontamination (you will never sterilize anything), think about the finger tip to mouth, eyes, nose connection. If your finger tips will not be touching a surface, you do not need to decontaminate it for any sense of limited personal security.

 

And even if you do contaminate your finger tips on elevator buttons, salt shakers, TV remotes etc, if you keep those "dirty" finger tips away from eyes, nose, mouth you break that chain of contamination.

 

If you use silverware, you can feed yourself even with fingers that became dirty from using the salt shaker or touching the menu.

 

Handling bread rolls, sandwiches, chips or other finger food with dirty fingers is about the only direct contact where you might introduce a possible "bug" to your gastrointestinal system while dining, but this will not introduce it to your upper respiratory system.

 

One might miss the trees for the forest in this case of hyper-vigilence and not pay specific attention to the actual points of contamination, which are actually far more limited than most people think.

 

While in medical school DH attended a class where the teacher handed out pieces of paper to all the students at the beginning of the class. Then when the class was over they turned off the lights and shined those "black lights" on the students which showed those handouts actually had a substance on them to demonstrate how much personal contamination had gone on just during the lecture period.

 

During the course of the lecture students had put their now contaminated fingers on their faces, noses, eyes etc. None of the students even remembered touching their faces so much, so the lesson was powerful and obvious. Pay attention to where you put your fingers - clean or dirty. Always.

 

My own best visualization it to think of yourself wearing one of those big conical dog collars put on pets after they have had surgery to keep them from licking at their surgical wounds. Think of yourself having a virtual one around your own head too, that keeps you from putting your hands inadvertently anywhere near your nose, eyes or mouth.

[boscobeans]

Hand contamination considerations only:

 

When thinking of surface decontamination (you will never sterilize anything), think about the finger tip to mouth, eyes, nose connection..

 

We do spray all possible points of contact such as light switches, telephone, tub, shower, toilet, drawer and closet handles, veranda chairs, table and the like. Only takes five minutes when we first get into our cabin.

 

bosco