Don't use the hand sanitizing stations

[2wheelin]

4 hours ago, K32682 said:

This seems to be a whole new level of germ anxiety.  Don't use the sanitizers to sanitize your hands because the nozzle from which the sanitizing agent is dispensed may not be sanitized because people trying to sanitize their hands are touching the nozzle with their unsanitary hands? 

 

Okay!  One less thing to do before dinner. 

Or then there are those who carry their own bottle to use after returning to their table with food, etc. Pull the dirty bottle out of their bag, “sanitize” and then replace the bottle, handling the dirty outside. It is dirty because they have been handling it after supposedly being exposed to whatever they have touched. If they had anything to remove from their hands, it is now on the container they are handling.

[satchimosmom]

”The F.D.A. does not allow hand sanitizer brands to make viral claims, but from a scientific perspective, influenza is an enveloped virus. Enveloped viruses in general are easily killed or inactivated by alcohol. The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are recommending the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer as a preventive measure for flu prevention.”

The C.D.C.’s current advice on its website says that washing hands with soap and water is the best way to reduce the spread of germs in most situations. If soap and water are not readily available, the agency recommends using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol.”

Please reconsider blanket statements that hand sanitizers are ineffective.  
 

Based on the information in the NYT article (partially quoted above), it plainly states both WHO and the CDC approve of using alcohol-based sanitizers (60% or higher alcohol) if hand washing is not available.  The only reason the FDA is making a Purell pull their claims is because there are no clinical studies to back up their claims.  
 

As for myself, I will wash and use Purell.  When washing is not available, I will use Purell liberally.   Certainly can’t hurt and may kill some nasty germs.   

[satchimosmom]

https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/pdf/hand-sanitizer-factsheet.pdf

[ldubs]

Maybe there should be two lines at the buffet.  One for folks who wash/sanitize.  One for folks who don't.   

[Markanddonna]

57 minutes ago, ldubs said:

Maybe there should be two lines at the buffet.  One for folks who wash/sanitize.  One for folks who don't.   

When I taught first graders, the nurse had this light that showed germs and dirt on the children's hands. Maybe we need those at the entrances. How about a little hygiene shaming...? If course, certain folks don't care and cruise lines rarely enforce anything anymore. Maybe this virus will eliminate self serve buffets.

[K32682]

7 minutes ago, Markanddonna said:

When I taught first graders, the nurse had this light that showed germs and dirt on the children's hands. Maybe we need those at the entrances. How about a little hygiene shaming...? If course, certain folks don't care and cruise lines rarely enforce anything anymore. Maybe this virus will eliminate self serve buffets.

 

Hygiene shaming grown adults like first-grade children?  LOL.  

 

 

 

 

[KnowTheScore]

I highly suspect OP doesn't properly understand how the dispensers work.

 

I would be absolutely staggered if there were any kind of spout visible to the user.  It would constitute a complete design fault and I simply don't believe it to be the case.

 

The gel will, I'm sure, simply fall through a hole in the plastic and there will be no way at all for any passenger to touch the bag inside or the gel exit point (on the bag itself)

 

Passengers do touch the plastic unit lots of times yes but they will not be touching any spout or any part of the gel bag inside.

 

Therefore there can not be any contamination coming from the gel itself which will be dispensed through the hole in the plastic without ever coming into contact with that plastic.

 

There IS a contamination risk concerning the plastic unit itself.  If people have touched that plastic then anyone else who touched the plastic will get cross-contamination.

 

So all one needs to do is NOT touch the plastic in any way and you're absolutely sound.

 

 

This same dispensing principle is often used with drinks dispensers.  They are common in work offices.

 

The water or other drink is dispensed through a hole in the unit and so anyone using their own grubby cup can not contaminate the drink inside.  They can only contaminate the surrounding unit.

 

Edited February 25, 2020 by KnowTheScore

[RocketMan275]

18 hours ago, satchimosmom said:

”The F.D.A. does not allow hand sanitizer brands to make viral claims, but from a scientific perspective, influenza is an enveloped virus. Enveloped viruses in general are easily killed or inactivated by alcohol. The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are recommending the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer as a preventive measure for flu prevention.”

The C.D.C.’s current advice on its website says that washing hands with soap and water is the best way to reduce the spread of germs in most situations. If soap and water are not readily available, the agency recommends using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol.”

Please reconsider blanket statements that hand sanitizers are ineffective.  
 

Based on the information in the NYT article (partially quoted above), it plainly states both WHO and the CDC approve of using alcohol-based sanitizers (60% or higher alcohol) if hand washing is not available.  The only reason the FDA is making a Purell pull their claims is because there are no clinical studies to back up their claims.  
 

As for myself, I will wash and use Purell.  When washing is not available, I will use Purell liberally.   Certainly can’t hurt and may kill some nasty germs.   

Fine, but are the hand sanitizers found on cruise ships at least 60% alcohol?

And, yes, availability of purell can hurt because it can lead people to believe that they don't need to wash their hands because they used purell.

[c-boy]

 I gonna assume since the dispenser is their (Purell) product, only their product will work in that dispenser. 

https://www.officesupply.com/cleaning-breakroom/cleaning-janitorial-supplies/hand-skin-care/hand-sanitizers/gojo-purell-hand-sanitizer-refill/p25066.html?ref=pla&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&adpos=&scid=scplp25066&sc_intid=25066&gclid=Cj0KCQiAqNPyBRCjARIsAKA-WFzauGVDpbvId7xBYstIpjeCV6vPKcYuIRfCdd6HSgR-jvrb-HJAl9gaAjTVEALw_wcB

[ldubs]

6 hours ago, Markanddonna said:

When I taught first graders, the nurse had this light that showed germs and dirt on the children's hands. Maybe we need those at the entrances. How about a little hygiene shaming...? If course, certain folks don't care and cruise lines rarely enforce anything anymore. Maybe this virus will eliminate self serve buffets.

 

I've witnessed UV lights used in restrooms.  It is not encouraging.  

 

Anyway, I know I'm putting too fine a point on it, but it is reckless, lazy, thoughtless people who refuse basic hygiene that will eliminate self serve buffets.  

[clo]

20 minutes ago, ldubs said:

Anyway, I know I'm putting too fine a point on it

No, you're not. But pigs are pigs.

[OzKiwiJJ]

On 2/25/2020 at 4:05 AM, 2wheelin said:

Or then there are those who carry their own bottle to use after returning to their table with food, etc. Pull the dirty bottle out of their bag, “sanitize” and then replace the bottle, handling the dirty outside. It is dirty because they have been handling it after supposedly being exposed to whatever they have touched. If they had anything to remove from their hands, it is now on the container they are handling.

Actually you can use your own sanitizer without recontaminating your hands. Here's what I do: open zip of handbag compartment with right hand, remove sanitizer bottle with right hand, remove lid with right hand, squirt sanitizer into left hand, replace lid with right hand, place sanitizer bottle back in bag with right hand, close zip with right hand, rub both hands together to sanitize them.

[momofmeg]

On 2/23/2020 at 10:25 AM, Essiesmom said:

It would help if you said what ship.  I was pleased to find sinks inside the buffets on MSC Seaside and Island Princess.  While I can't use the Purel stations I do head for the sinks when they are there.  And they are present on some Carnival ships also.  EM

 NCL Jade had this too 3 years ago and I used it religiously when I saw the buffet was no longer "self serve."

 

[momofmeg]

7 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Actually you can use your own sanitizer without recontaminating your hands. Here's what I do: open zip of handbag compartment with right hand, remove sanitizer bottle with right hand, remove lid with right hand, squirt sanitizer into left hand, replace lid with right hand, place sanitizer bottle back in bag with right hand, close zip with right hand, rub both hands together to sanitize them.

 or lol even easier buy sanitizing wipes.

[Markanddonna]

1 hour ago, momofmeg said:

 or lol even easier buy sanitizing wipes.

You two are wise folk!  If everyone practice deliberate and good hygiene, we would have far fewer colds and illnesses transferred. 

[ReneeFLL]

What is with the fear mongering titles? Your and others.

 

 

[Aquahound]

On 2/23/2020 at 7:07 AM, Markanddonna said:

 

Don't use the hand sanitizing stations

 

 

I already don't use them, so I'm not going to start now.

[sail7seas]

22 hours ago, Aquahound said:

 

I already don't use them, so I'm not going to start now.

 

 

 

I FAR prefer washing my hands with warm/hot water and  generous use of soap for long enough  to sing happy b'day and do  that regularly in my 'usual  life' and on ships.  It is an easy  thing to make a 'habit!  Beats use of the 'goop' by far.

 

When I used goop, my hands felt sticky and unclean.  Soap and water  is  best

 

 

Edited February 29, 2020 by sail7seas

[BSR]

20 minutes ago, sail7seas said:

I FAR prefer washing my hands with warm/hot water and  generous use of soap for long enough  to sing happy b'day and do  that regularly in my 'usual  life' and on ships.  It is an easy  thing to make a 'habit!  Beats use of the 'goop' by far.

 

When I used goop, my hands felt sticky and unclean.  Soap and water  is  best

 

 

I agree - Soap and water is best to use.

[Canuker]

Washee washee!
 

See, the thing is, the reason that passengers are encouraged to use (whatever) wash station is because they don't trust people to perform personal hygiene.
Are they right in their mistrust?
Oh, and it's not just customers. I recently saw a waiter at a (land-based) restaurant come staright out of his washroom cubicle and resume serving food and drinks to his customers.
I still feel a pang of guilt that I didn't report it.
How do you eradicate this? You can't. So see sentence 1 above.

[Markanddonna]

I witnessed a crew member eat for her plate while she was in line at the buffet (I discovered many crew members have this perk at lunch on port days.) I confronted her since she was right in front of me in line and reported the situation, not the specific worker, to the buffet manager. 

[K32682]

10 hours ago, Markanddonna said:

I witnessed a crew member eat for her plate while she was in line at the buffet (I discovered many crew members have this perk at lunch on port days.) I confronted her since she was right in front of me in line and reported the situation, not the specific worker, to the buffet manager. 

 

Would you do this to another passenger or just a crew member? 

[Markanddonna]

Surprisingly, I didn't see any passenger eat while still in line and touching serving spoons, but I rarely eat at the buffet. If I thought the passenger understood English, I might have said something. It was a spur of the moment decision to do so. Passengers routinely witness actions such as not covering sneezes or coughs but it is futile to confront others. The crew member was given the privilege or perk of eating in the buffet and should adhere to the highest level of sanitation. I like that the hard working crew are given this privilege and don't want to see it taken away.  

[pacruise804]

3 hours ago, Markanddonna said:

Surprisingly, I didn't see any passenger eat while still in line and touching serving spoons, but I rarely eat at the buffet. If I thought the passenger understood English, I might have said something. It was a spur of the moment decision to do so. Passengers routinely witness actions such as not covering sneezes or coughs but it is futile to confront others. The crew member was given the privilege or perk of eating in the buffet and should adhere to the highest level of sanitation. I like that the hard working crew are given this privilege and don't want to see it taken away.  

 

I'm not quite sure why eating in the buffet - which some feel is inferior food, surrounded by "low class" passengers (not my opinion, but seen it expressed)  and carries a high risk of illness - is seen as a privilege or perk.  If I had the option to eat in a more private area with food closer to my home culture I would probably choose that over your "privilege".

[prekcruiser]

Toofarfromthesea, I hear you.  30 years of having 4 & 5 year olds directly sneeze and cough on me should have me covered, lol.

Edited February 29, 2020 by prekcruiser