Coronavirus Screening

[Globehoppers]

Below is a factual report indicating that even testing after the 14-day period AND isolation may not be enough.  The real answer is that health officials don't know.  North Korea is saying their pesticide spraying is the answer.  Sure.  Best recommendation is to maintain your cleaning and preventive measures while on board a ship.

 

The patient was one of hundreds flown back to the United States from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of a now-global outbreak that has killed more than 1,000 people.

 

Americans return to 14 days of quarantine meant to prevent them from spreading coronavirus in the community. But health authorities have also cautioned that a negative test result from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s laboratory does not necessarily mean someone will not get the virus.

 

“This is an accurate test,” said Nancy Messonnier, who heads the coronavirus response at the CDC, in a briefing last week. “A negative test most likely means a person is not infected. However, it may mean that an infection has not developed enough to be detected by the test.”

 

UC San Diego Health spokeswoman Yadira Galindo said in an email that the patient left the hospital “the same way they arrived with all precautions taken.” The person wore a mask, escorted by federal officials who also had “protection.”

 

“The patient did not interact with the environment after leaving the hospital room,” Galindo said.

[Cruiser6270]

20 hours ago, amyr said:

We embarked Infinity on Saturday and the woman checking us in read from a paper and asked if we had been to China, Hong Kong, and two other places we couldn't quite make out what she said, I think one of them was Macau.  She was unsure how to pronounce them.  We said no, and she didn't look in our passports at all except the first page to make sure we matched the name on the reservation.  So, it's just self reporting really.  They were just the usual port workers, we didn't see any medical personnel around.

Wouldn't want to be someone who blagged their way onto a cruise, only for it to be quarantined and they subsequently find out that you've been to China / HK or Macau within 15 days of boarding ! Be a bad decision.

Edited February 11, 2020 by Cruiser6270

[spiritkat090909]

17 hours ago, TorontoSailor said:

Could they not take body temperature? While that wouldn’t get everyone, it might catch a couple? Not sure if that would work but I’ve heard other lines have done it in the past. 

Umm... female with age related HOT FLASHES... would be denied boarding during an unpredictable episode.  If one makes it through the airport.

[PTC DAWG]

Do folks even know how many people die of the flu in the US every year?  

 

According to the latest reports from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), influenza (flu) has caused the deaths of 10,000-25,000 Americans, hospitalized 180,000, and sickened 19 million so far in the 2019-2020 season

[GastroGnome]

25 minutes ago, spiritkat090909 said:

Could they not take body temperature? While that wouldn’t get everyone, it might catch a couple? Not sure if that would work but I’ve heard other lines have done it in the past.

 

The problem with this virus is that it can be spread before the carrier develops symptoms.  Temp checking might catch one or two with other viruses, menopausal women and anyone wearing too many coats - but would not have any particular impact on catching a carrier.  I'm not sure what more X could do - but hoping this levels out soon.  Although advice in the Uk is that this will get worse before it gets better,

[cruise47]

How is fresh air brought into a cruise ship and then regulated to kill off virus and germs in the air?
 

How often are cruise ships air filters changed in each stateroom, suite, restaurant, hallway and restroom area?

[Fouremco]

32 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

Do folks even know how many people die of the flu in the US every year?  

 

According to the latest reports from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), influenza (flu) has caused the deaths of 10,000-25,000 Americans, hospitalized 180,000, and sickened 19 million so far in the 2019-2020 season

I don't know where you are getting your information, but these are the most current stats, taken directly from the CDC website:

 

• CDC estimates that so far this season there have been at least 22 million flu illnesses, 210,000 hospitalizations and 12,000 deaths from flu.

[SbbquilterUT]

One of the difficulties in containing any virus is truly identifying carriers - I live in a part of the US that attracts many Asian visitors so I could have exposure while hiking at a National Park and using the restroom or visiting the visitor center.

[PTC DAWG]

55 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

I don't know where you are getting your information, but these are the most current stats, taken directly from the CDC website:

 

• CDC estimates that so far this season there have been at least 22 million flu illnesses, 210,000 hospitalizations and 12,000 deaths from flu.

I just ran a quick google, that was copied and pasted...Seems to me to be almost impossible to get an exact count...the numbers appear similar.  

 

My point is, the FLU here seems to be much more dangerous than this Corona virus...but I suppose opinions vary.  I'm no Doc, but I have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express once..not my favorite.  🙂

Edited February 11, 2020 by PTC DAWG

[farawayatsea]

16 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

I just ran a quick google, that was copied and pasted...Seems to me to be almost impossible to get an exact count...the numbers appear similar.  

 

My point is, the FLU here seems to be much more dangerous than this Corona virus...but I suppose opinions vary.  I'm no Doc, but I have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express once..not my favorite.  🙂

The problem is not where the corona virus is at the moment. It's where it's going. Only started now but if it gets hold some reports saying it could impact 60% of the world's population.

[Pickels]

22 hours ago, mpk said:

Plus since passport stamping is going more and more out of style, it wouldn't do much good to look at the other pages.  I wish ports and airports would stamp for souvenir reasons, but they rarely do in my travels.

Stamping passports is a great idea; that's how they can tell where a person has been, not by just asking!  Wish they would bring back the passport stamping!

[Globehoppers]

2 hours ago, cruise47 said:

How is fresh air brought into a cruise ship and then regulated to kill off virus and germs in the air?
 

How often are cruise ships air filters changed in each stateroom, suite, restaurant, hallway and restroom area?

Modern cruise ships bring in outside air an "condition" it before sending it to cabins.  "Old" air is vented outside.

[Globehoppers]

27 minutes ago, Pickels said:

Stamping passports is a great idea; that's how they can tell where a person has been, not by just asking!  Wish they would bring back the passport stamping!

Not really.  Most passports are good for 5 years, some for 10.  Passports with chips can be scanned for a travelers' background. Visas for many countries also help identify travel.  Problem is that a prospective passenger could have visited China 6 months ago and today be traveling with a new passport.

[cruise47]

47 minutes ago, Globehoppers said:

Modern cruise ships bring in outside air an "condition" it before sending it to cabins.  "Old" air is vented outside.

 

45 minutes ago, Globehoppers said:

Not really.  Most passports are good for 5 years, some for 10.  Passports with chips can be scanned for a travelers' background. Visas for many countries also help identify travel.  Problem is that a prospective passenger could have visited China 6 months ago and today be traveling with a new passport.

Thanks you . The passengers and crew members air is clear of all viruses and germs.

[Fouremco]

The following extracts are from a couple of different posts by @chengkp75 over on the Princess board. They provide an excellent explanation of the AC systems in relation to viruses. 

 

"One of the main reason that the guests are quarantined in their cabins most of the day, is that the AC in cabins is not shared or recirculated.  There are two AC systems on the ship.  One takes outside air, cools it, and supplies it to the cabins, in a one way flow.  This fresh air supplied to the cabins is almost balanced by the bathroom exhaust which takes the air to the outside, in a one way flow.  The fresh air supply is slightly greater than the exhaust to keep the cabin at a slight positive pressure relative to the outside, and to the passageway outside the cabin.  The AC controlled by the cabin thermostat is air within the cabin, that is recirculated within the cabin, passing over the individual cabin's cooler."

 

"Public space AC is similar to the cabin system, with a fresh air supply and an exhaust, but the majority of the AC is recirculated, but again this is broken down by zones and spaces (no AC ducting ever crosses a fire zone boundary, each zone has it's own systems), so if infected persons are in the public spaces, their "air" will be recirculated in those public spaces.  However, the air handlers for these public spaces, along with the air handlers for the cabin fresh air supplies, all have sanitizing pads in the bottom to kill bacteria and viruses in the air duct systems."

[Globehoppers]

4 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

The following extracts are from a couple of different posts by @chengkp75 over on the Princess board. They provide an excellent explanation of the AC systems in relation to viruses. 

 

"One of the main reason that the guests are quarantined in their cabins most of the day, is that the AC in cabins is not shared or recirculated.  There are two AC systems on the ship.  One takes outside air, cools it, and supplies it to the cabins, in a one way flow.  This fresh air supplied to the cabins is almost balanced by the bathroom exhaust which takes the air to the outside, in a one way flow.  The fresh air supply is slightly greater than the exhaust to keep the cabin at a slight positive pressure relative to the outside, and to the passageway outside the cabin.  The AC controlled by the cabin thermostat is air within the cabin, that is recirculated within the cabin, passing over the individual cabin's cooler."

 

"Public space AC is similar to the cabin system, with a fresh air supply and an exhaust, but the majority of the AC is recirculated, but again this is broken down by zones and spaces (no AC ducting ever crosses a fire zone boundary, each zone has it's own systems), so if infected persons are in the public spaces, their "air" will be recirculated in those public spaces.  However, the air handlers for these public spaces, along with the air handlers for the cabin fresh air supplies, all have sanitizing pads in the bottom to kill bacteria and viruses in the air duct systems."

"CHENG" is an acronym for "chief engineer" on a ship.  He knows ships and maritime engineering.

[TorontoSailor]

5 hours ago, spiritkat090909 said:

Umm... female with age related HOT FLASHES... would be denied boarding during an unpredictable episode.  If one makes it through the airport.

 

Actually, "hot flashes" rarely if ever cause an increase in actual core body temperature. That is not to diminish how intense they can be. It would be unlikely it would have an effect at all that would last beyond a few checks.

 

From RUSH University Medical Centre:

 

"The rise in temperature involved in hot flashes is not severe. During a hot flash, the blood rushing to the vessels nearest the skin may raise skin temperature by five to seven degrees, but core body temperature will not usually rise above a normal 98.6 degrees.

 

Still, it can feel like an extreme change to the woman having the hot flash."

 

 

[Fouremco]

43 minutes ago, Globehoppers said:

"CHENG" is an acronym for "chief engineer" on a ship.  He knows ships and maritime engineering.

And is the "go to guy" for many of us on all things ship related. He's been a wealth of information across many different boards.

[mom says]

1 hour ago, TorontoSailor said:

 

Actually, "hot flashes" rarely if ever cause an increase in actual core body temperature. That is not to diminish how intense they can be. It would be unlikely it would have an effect at all that would last beyond a few checks.

 

From RUSH University Medical Centre:

 

"The rise in temperature involved in hot flashes is not severe. During a hot flash, the blood rushing to the vessels nearest the skin may raise skin temperature by five to seven degrees, but core body temperature will not usually rise above a normal 98.6 degrees.

 

Still, it can feel like an extreme change to the woman having the hot flash."

 

 

This is all true, but in this scenario there may be a big BUT. Temperature checks using hand held thermometers would show a normal temp even during a hot flash. But what about the thermal scanners used in some airports, or forehead (skin) temp strips? Wouldn't they record a higher temp due to the hot flash? Dunno. 

[TorontoSailor]

3 hours ago, mom says said:

This is all true, but in this scenario there may be a big BUT. Temperature checks using hand held thermometers would show a normal temp even during a hot flash. But what about the thermal scanners used in some airports, or forehead (skin) temp strips? Wouldn't they record a higher temp due to the hot flash? Dunno. 

Those are REALLY good questions. Me neither.