Hope and pray for a TREATMENT.

[tinleypark andy]

Right now, for the country and cruising, the best we can ask for is  a treatment for the virus.

A vaccine could take up to 3-5 years including testing and trials. Think about it, the Aids epidemic really took off during the early 80"s, and they still do not have a vaccine for it. 

Hopefully they finding a treatment that will knock it down to an ordinary flu or cold. Until then IMO, the CDC (can't determine a cause) has the cruise industry's hands tied..

[sanger727]

IMO, a treatment won't make a huge difference. I do think they now realize that with the number of asymptomatic people that the death rate is much less than they originally thought. Problem is now that it's labeled "coronavirus" and all the strings that go along with that - things won't get back to normal until the spread is lessened by herd immunity or a vaccine. 

[Saint Greg]

On 6/22/2020 at 9:03 AM, tinleypark andy said:

Right now, for the country and cruising, the best we can ask for is  a treatment for the virus.

A vaccine could take up to 3-5 years including testing and trials. Think about it, the Aids epidemic really took off during the early 80"s, and they still do not have a vaccine for it. 

Hopefully they finding a treatment that will knock it down to an ordinary flu or cold. Until then IMO, the CDC (can't determine a cause) has the cruise industry's hands tied..

U.S. and Chinese vaccines are entering their final trial phase. We’ll have a vaccine by the end of the year. I don’t know if it’ll be available to everyone by then but we’ll have one.

 

 

Edited June 24, 2020 by Saint Greg

[S&B]

We hopefully will have a vaccine by the end of the year or the beginning of 2021 but as I understand it 30 percent of the US population will refuse to accept it.  Please correct me if I am wrong.  Will the cruise industry make it mandatory?   Will the vaccine be 100 percent effective.   There are so many questions and we all try to be patient.

 We have cruises booked in July and October 2021 but waiting to see how the cruise lines deal with anyone not willing to take the vaccine if it becomes available.  

In the mean time we are still hunkering down, going only to the bank and the grocery store so far.  

Stay healthy every one!!!

[sanger727]

1 minute ago, S&B said:

We hopefully will have a vaccine by the end of the year or the beginning of 2021 but as I understand it 30 percent of the US population will refuse to accept it.  Please correct me if I am wrong.  Will the cruise industry make it mandatory?   Will the vaccine be 100 percent effective.   There are so many questions and we all try to be patient.

 We have cruises booked in July and October 2021 but waiting to see how the cruise lines deal with anyone not willing to take the vaccine if it becomes available.  

In the mean time we are still hunkering down, going only to the bank and the grocery store so far.  

Stay healthy every one!!!

 

So, I've been watching a handful of countries that we want to plan a trip to early next year. One of them currently does allow tourists, but you have to take a quick response covid test when you land and if you are positive you are stuck quarantining there for 14 days. I could see something like that with the vaccine. If in time there are sufficient vaccines doses for anyone who wants one and sufficient quick response covid tests. Prior to boarding you can either show a vaccine certificate or get a covid test. If you are positive you are denied boarding and most likely stuck quarantining in whatever city you a currently in. Gives people who don't want vaccines an out but there's sufficient penalty that most people would probably get one. 

[MsTabbyKats]

2 minutes ago, S&B said:

We hopefully will have a vaccine by the end of the year or the beginning of 2021 but as I understand it 30 percent of the US population will refuse to accept it.  Please correct me if I am wrong.  Will the cruise industry make it mandatory?   Will the vaccine be 100 percent effective.   There are so many questions and we all try to be patient.

 We have cruises booked in July and October 2021 but waiting to see how the cruise lines deal with anyone not willing to take the vaccine if it becomes available.  

In the mean time we are still hunkering down, going only to the bank and the grocery store so far.  

Stay healthy every one!!!

Yeah...I remember the days (in NYC) when I only went to CVS and the supermarket...and then only for really brief visits.

But..we did it...and now I "dined outdoors" yesterday for the first time 

 

Anyway....after talking to someone who is actually more knowledgeable than the experts on Cruise Critic (someone from Mayo Clinic)....I'm expecting a vaccine by early 2021.  The cruise industry should make the vaccine mandatory . And for those who won't get a vaccine....they get to stay on shore because plenty of other people will be compliant and fill the ships. 

 

My guess is that cruising will resume "by summer of 2021".  For the 10 millionth time....covid is airborne.  You can clean and disinfect all you want.  But you can't stop people from talking....and the droplets that come out of their mouths go right into yours.  Even if you're 6 feet apart....those people will talk louder so you can hear....and their droplets will have increase velocity.

[Saint Greg]

24 minutes ago, S&B said:

We hopefully will have a vaccine by the end of the year or the beginning of 2021 but as I understand it 30 percent of the US population will refuse to accept it.  Please correct me if I am wrong.  Will the cruise industry make it mandatory?   Will the vaccine be 100 percent effective.   There are so many questions and we all try to be patient.

 We have cruises booked in July and October 2021 but waiting to see how the cruise lines deal with anyone not willing to take the vaccine if it becomes available.  

In the mean time we are still hunkering down, going only to the bank and the grocery store so far.  

Stay healthy every one!!!

I don’t think they would make it mandatory for guests. I think they may for employees. Once

they protect their employees they should be good. I’ll get the vaccine and it won’t bother me if nobody else does.

[MsTabbyKats]

30 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

I don’t think they would make it mandatory for guests. I think they may for employees. Once

they protect their employees they should be good. I’ll get the vaccine and it won’t bother me if nobody else does.

Back in the old days I went to France....and I needed some sort of vaccine.  No vaccine...no trip....no choice.

 

If/when there is a vaccine the ships will have enough people who get one.  I don't see a need for "techs at the pier" giving tests which may or not be accurate. 

 

If should bother you "if nobody else does"....just in case the vaccine isn't perfect.  If we all work together....we conquer covid!

[Saint Greg]

6 minutes ago, MsTabbyKats said:

Back in the old days I went to France....and I needed some sort of vaccine.  No vaccine...no trip....no choice.

 

If/when there is a vaccine the ships will have enough people who get one.  I don't see a need for "techs at the pier" giving tests which may or not be accurate. 

 

If should bother you "if nobody else does"....just in case the vaccine isn't perfect.  If we all work together....we conquer covid!

Carnival is a company. I don’t see them turning down money because someone doesn’t want to get the vaccine. I think they’ll protect their crew and if a guests opts not to get vaccinated and they get sick on the cruise, that’s on them. 

[Butterbean1000]

2 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

Carnival is a company. I don’t see them turning down money because someone doesn’t want to get the vaccine. I think they’ll protect their crew and if a guests opts not to get vaccinated and they get sick on the cruise, that’s on them. 

I agree.  Where do you draw the line. The yearly flu is just as deadly to the same people. the elderly and those with compromised immunity issues.  It should be up to these individuals to protect themselves,  not the masses.  If you choose to get the vaccine. good on you.

[MsTabbyKats]

3 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

Carnival is a company. I don’t see them turning down money because someone doesn’t want to get the vaccine. I think they’ll protect their crew and if a guests opts not to get vaccinated and they get sick on the cruise, that’s on them. 

But....there may be enough people who are compliant so they won't be turning down money.  Maybe "no vaccine/no travel" will be mandatory for other venues.  "Organizations" can't make you get vaccinated but they can impose limitations if you don't.

 

Their objective should be "to avoid people getting sick" on the cruise.  As we know...the testing, as it is now, is far from accurate.  And taking a temp is a joke; just take an aspirin an hour before you get to the pier.

[evandbob]

Sorry, hope and prayer will do little to finding a vaccine.  Hard lab work and science are the path, if there is one, to an effective vaccine.

[MsTabbyKats]

2 minutes ago, Butterbean1000 said:

I agree.  Where do you draw the line. The yearly flu is just as deadly to the same people. the elderly and those with compromised immunity issues.  It should be up to these individuals to protect themselves,  not the masses.  If you choose to get the vaccine. good on you.

The difference is how rapid covid is transmitted.  Even young healthy people have died from covid.

[Saint Greg]

1 minute ago, MsTabbyKats said:

But....there may be enough people who are compliant so they won't be turning down money.  Maybe "no vaccine/no travel" will be mandatory for other venues.  "Organizations" can't make you get vaccinated but they can impose limitations if you don't.

 

Their objective should be "to avoid people getting sick" on the cruise.  As we know...the testing, as it is now, is far from accurate.  And taking a temp is a joke; just take an aspirin an hour before you get to the pier.

Once we have a vaccine I don’t think we need testing. I’ll get the vaccine and I don’t have to worry about anyone else having it.

[Butterbean1000]

2 minutes ago, MsTabbyKats said:

The difference is how rapid covid is transmitted.  Even young healthy people have died from covid.

As they have from the yearly flu.  The numbers are so low. The last numbers I heard was 98.4 to 99.1 survival. 

Edited June 24, 2020 by Butterbean1000

[MsTabbyKats]

1 minute ago, evandbob said:

Sorry, hope and prayer will do little to finding a vaccine.  Hard lab work and science are the path, if there is one, to an effective vaccine.

There are lots of very smart people hard at work.  

[evandbob]

6 minutes ago, Butterbean1000 said:

I agree.  Where do you draw the line. The yearly flu is just as deadly to the same people. the elderly and those with compromised immunity issues.  It should be up to these individuals to protect themselves,  not the masses.  If you choose to get the vaccine. good on you.

 

Statistics show that 68K died from the flu last year, while 220,000 have died from confirmed COVID cases in 4 months time.  I think the incidence of fatality is also higher with COVID than the flu.  The 2 are not similar.

 

We recently had a healthy 17 yr old and a 19 yr old die from COVID in SWFL.

[Butterbean1000]

3 minutes ago, evandbob said:

 

Statistics show that 68K died from the flu last year, while 220,000 have died from confirmed COVID cases in 4 months time.  I think the incidence of fatality is also higher with COVID than the flu.  The 2 are not similar.

 

We recently had a healthy 17 yr old and a 19 yr old die from COVID in SWFL.

Very sorry for your loss.

 

Edit...I'm truly not unsympathetic to the seriousness of this outbreak.  I understand that statistics mean nothing to those who have lost loved ones. 

Edited June 24, 2020 by Butterbean1000

[MsTabbyKats]

Before 9/11.....people just breezed thru the airports.

After 9/11...you had to be screened by TSA

Not everyone is a terrorist....but it's function is to screen out "those who may be"

Yes...this is a big imposition for everyone who CHOOSES to fly.  But, if you want to fly....you need to comply.

 

After Covid....and the development of a vaccine.....hopefully the cruise lines will want to screen out "those who may be susceptible to covid".  You get the vaccine....or you don't sail.  Cruising is not mandatory....it's optional.   The vaccine may not be perfect....but it will sure help.  People who don't want it have other "vacation options".

 

Things in life change and you can't go back to "how things were" because you end up with the same problems. 

[Saint Greg]

18 minutes ago, evandbob said:

 

Statistics show that 68K died from the flu last year, while 220,000 have died from confirmed COVID cases in 4 months time.  I think the incidence of fatality is also higher with COVID than the flu.  The 2 are not similar.

 

We recently had a healthy 17 yr old and a 19 yr old die from COVID in SWFL.

 

Of course we those stats are with a flu vaccine and without a covid vaccine. They'll change once we have a covid vaccine.

[Cruising_Addict]

On 6/22/2020 at 10:03 AM, tinleypark andy said:

Right now, for the country and cruising, the best we can ask for is  a treatment for the virus.

A vaccine could take up to 3-5 years including testing and trials. Think about it, the Aids epidemic really took off during the early 80"s, and they still do not have a vaccine for it. 

Hopefully they finding a treatment that will knock it down to an ordinary flu or cold. Until then IMO, the CDC (can't determine a cause) has the cruise industry's hands tied..

 

First, there are already human trials being performed for a COVID-19 vaccine, and it's expected that a vaccine could be available to the general public as soon as this fall.  So no, not 3-5 years.  And you can hardly compare this virus with AIDS.  AIDS is not contagious by simply coming in casual contact with someone who has it.  Therefore, it's entirely preventable by avoiding the ways it is spread (no unprotected sex, needle sharing, etc).  So the need for a vaccine for AIDS is not even close to being the same as the need for a vaccine for COVID-19.

[pe4all]

1 hour ago, sanger727 said:

 

So, I've been watching a handful of countries that we want to plan a trip to early next year. One of them currently does allow tourists, but you have to take a quick response covid test when you land and if you are positive you are stuck quarantining there for 14 days. I could see something like that with the vaccine. If in time there are sufficient vaccines doses for anyone who wants one and sufficient quick response covid tests. Prior to boarding you can either show a vaccine certificate or get a covid test. If you are positive you are denied boarding and most likely stuck quarantining in whatever city you a currently in. Gives people who don't want vaccines an out but there's sufficient penalty that most people would probably get one. 

We had a trip planned to Ecuador/Galapagos, leaving 7/31/20.  We cancelled 4/29, right before Ecuador had the tremendous infection rate they have now.  They just re-opened to get citizens getting back to Galapagos - they had been stuck on the mainland all this time away from their homes.  They have also put in the testing/quarentine restrictions listed above.  So to be quarantined upon landing in Ecuador, nope, not happening.  Rescheduling for next April - hopefully we will make it there then.  Fauci says he is hopeful there will be a vaccine available by the end of this year, beginning of new year.  Fingers (and toes) crossed!

[PhillyFan33579]

2 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

U.S. and Chinese vaccines are entering their final trial phase. We’ll have a vaccine by the end of the year. I don’t know if it’ll be available to everyone by then but we’ll have one.

Keep in mind the fastest vaccine ever developed took 4 years for mumps. Also, vaccines have not been developed yet for other coronaviruses like SARS and MERS. Back in the 1980s a vaccine for HIV was supposed to be available within 2 years based on positive scientific results, yet there is still no vaccine for HIV as of today. The bottom line is there is no guarantee a vaccine for COVID-19 will be developed soon despite promising early results. 

[sanger727]

7 minutes ago, pe4all said:

We had a trip planned to Ecuador/Galapagos, leaving 7/31/20.  We cancelled 4/29, right before Ecuador had the tremendous infection rate they have now.  They just re-opened to get citizens getting back to Galapagos - they had been stuck on the mainland all this time away from their homes.  They have also put in the testing/quarentine restrictions listed above.  So to be quarantined upon landing in Ecuador, nope, not happening.  Rescheduling for next April - hopefully we will make it there then.  Fauci says he is hopeful there will be a vaccine available by the end of this year, beginning of new year.  Fingers (and toes) crossed!

 

Agreed. this is in Cambodia. And they are now charging a $3,000 deposit when you land to cover testing and quarantining. No thanks, not giving Cambodia thousands of dollars and submtting to a test where if I "fail" they get to keep the money and be stuck in a third world country for 2 weeks in abismal conditions. 

Edited June 24, 2020 by sanger727

[tinleypark andy]

51 minutes ago, evandbob said:

Sorry, hope and prayer will do little to finding a vaccine.  Hard lab work and science are the path, if there is one, to an effective vaccine.

I always felt there was ample room for both.