Gastrointestinal Illness on QUEEN VICTORIA

[Victoria2]

7 minutes ago, tacticalbanjo said:

My toddler caught noro and at nursery in my haste to comfort my poorly child, I caught the 'illness' with my face. Guess who had noro the next day!

 

She's given me gastric bugs three times now. I don't know when I will learn not to offer cuddles while she's afflicted.

Well derr! you know the solution, don't collect 'ill bits' with your face and remember, full PPE is the preferred cuddle suit! 👍

[Pushpit]

2 hours ago, tacticalbanjo said:

Noro is always going to be a problem on cruise ships not just because there are grubbers who don't wash hands but because if you report symptoms then you are confined to cabin for at least 24 hours after your symptoms resolve. If you are on a shorter itinerary that's probably half your trip spent in your cabin. Or you can keep your mouth shut and carry about your business merrily spreading noro everywhere and causing a big outbreak.

I've always urged against isolation for those with Noro, much more important than isolation is good hand washing with soap and water. It's not a respiratory disease so isolation is totally the wrong approach. So one prison in my patch got Noro badly (and one prisoner died) but it was going to be extremely difficult to confine everyone to their cells given the prison's layout, staffing levels and ethos. Instead our focus was on education - and spelling out exactly how Noro was spread. All prisoners were given clear and slightly graphic presentations about Noro and other formite pathogens. That resolved matters well quickly in the main cohort (along with a supply of better quality soap than inmates usually get), it was just those with certain mental health conditions and dementia that we had to confine since they wouldn't be able to take on the messaging.

 

What I imagine has happened on board is that the Lido has reversed the tongs outwards, so that all food is given to passengers by the crew rather them rather than self service. So long as the serving staff have observed aseptic processes, all will be well.

[NE John]

From toddlers to prisoners…this thread is a compelling story to follow!

Virgin Voyages (love the airline but seems too odd to sail with them) has their buffet with waiter service. I wonder if Noro is less prevalent on their vessels with their practice of no common touching of serving utensils?

[WantedOnVoyage]

Having contracted food poisoning the last (and it will be too!) time I flew Virgin Atlantic Airways... in Business Class... I wouldn't get my intestinal track within 50 ft. of any of Mr. Branson's enterprises again. Mind you, I'd rather do two weeks in Wormwood Scrubs than be "a sailor" on a  "Virgin Voyages" cruise.  

 

But yes, I am not sure why Cunard persists with the c. 1990 default self serving utensils when so many lines seem to have evolved away from it. And telling it's the first thing they lock down when they have these outbreaks, too. Wonder why? 

[BklynBoy8]

On 2/1/2024 at 11:47 AM, TowandaUK said:

I worked on a hospital ward for many years. There were multiple occasions when norovirus was rife on the ward, it is very contagious. I never once caught it. Sanitizers cannot be relied on, but regular washing hands is the way to go. Always a good idea to carry hand cream as if you are washing properly and often your hands will get very dry and sore. 

 

Thank you from one health care provider to another.

 

I like to use the 30 second method in public washing hands the way we were taught. Rotating and fingers into fingers washing.

 

And carrying paper towels to open and handle door handles..

 

Useless washing if you will grab for the handle afterwards.

Edited February 2 by BklynBoy8

[Wordzz]

7 hours ago, Pushpit said:

What I imagine has happened on board is that the Lido has reversed the tongs outwards, so that all food is given to passengers by the crew rather them rather than self service. So long as the serving staff have observed aseptic processes, all will be well.

That's exactly the approach being taken. No self-service, and servers all wearing gloves. Ditto for drinks. It causes a bit of queueing, and it's hard work for the crew, but otherwise it's fine. 

The biggest downside is that canapés in the Commodore Club are temporarily not being offered!  Hopefully they will return after San Francisco. 

[rog747]

correct me if I am wrong but Food Poisoning, is not Norovirus  

 

[Host Hattie]

That's correct, the CDC has the cause of the recent outbreak as Unknown 

 

CDC Cruise Ship Surveillance

[Pushpit]

1 hour ago, rog747 said:

correct me if I am wrong but Food Poisoning, is not Norovirus  

I don't know about this specific case, but the complication with that question is that Norovirus - which is indeed a standalone virus that needs no food to be involved in transmission - can, very occasionally, be spread via food. This would be if someone was infected AND was handling food AND there was actual viral transfer AND the food was able to act as a host for the virus. So sushi would be on the top of my list, pasta which is about to be cooked would not on the top of my list. The protocols regarding food poisoning would regard contaminated sushi as food poisoning.

 

From a cruise voyage point of view, much of the focus about measures to combat Noro are around eating, particularly at buffets, but the actual problem isn't so much food, it's human fingers! So I can understand if the crisps / chips get removed from the Commodore Club. Mostly transmission is human formite transmission, fingers on surfaces followed by fingers to face area. Or sex, but that never happens on Cunard vessels.

[Millieloulou]

Then why is it always soo quite around the ship in the afternoon ?.

[roscoe39]

15 hours ago, Pushpit said:

Or sex, but that never happens on Cunard vessels.

maybe not in your cabin.....!.......

[Hokapontas]

On 2/3/2024 at 5:02 AM, WantedOnVoyage said:

And telling it's the first thing they lock down when they have these outbreaks, too. Wonder why? 

 

I take it they isolate pax to stop them from using the public area conveniences, not washing their hands.

Not the most effective, as it stops ppl from reporting, but has a good ring to it. If they threw in free medical, maybe it would be an encouragement? Or free rehydration drinks and immodium, if they stay in their room? Free online movies, crosswords or newspapers? 

Maybe other things. Suggestions? 

[david63]

4 hours ago, Hokapontas said:

if they stay in their room

From what I have heard if you have Noro then moving out of your room is not an option!

[Victoria2]

7 minutes ago, david63 said:

From what I have heard if you have Noro then moving out of your room is not an option!

Not had it, yet, but I think if I had that particular virus, I'd want to stay near or possibly in the smaller room in my room!! 😕

[exlondoner]

37 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

Not had it, yet, but I think if I had that particular virus, I'd want to stay near or possibly in the smaller room in my room!! 😕

Yes, when I had it, I spend two days lying in bed groaning, between rushes to the loo. I think the problem might come with the two days isolation after you stopped having symptoms.

[Pushpit]

This is very much the point (and ditto with the early versions of COVID-19) - if your body confines you to bed + WC then that naturally deals with the worst aspect of the situation. So long as they really do wash their hands - when well enough to get out and about - and everyone else does the same, then there is no point isolating (and no point doing hazmat clothing either, we don't do that in hospitals). The problem with isolating people is (a) recovery is longer - a bit of sea air and doing interesting things does wonders to the immune system; and (b) it gives a false sense that everyone else is OK, we've isolated the baddies. Since you can carry the disease without having Noro yourself, this is entirely the wrong idea.

[RICHARD@SEA]

Here's a different look at the situation.  In Nov 2023 I took a 9 day cruise on HAL ROTTERDAM.

On the second nite I ate in the specialty restaurant / steak House onboard the ship.  within hours I came down w symptoms of food poisoning - after 2 days in my stateroom I felt well enough to get out & about.

 

At one point I needed to use a bathroom - unfortunately on the newer ships the bathrooms are few & far between - the aft toilets were in use(men's, women's & handicapped) - I finally dashed out to the pool area & found a vacant rest room - thankfully in time.

 

The newer ships are too big now & facilities lacking!

 

 

[Hokapontas]

On 2/7/2024 at 9:44 PM, david63 said:

From what I have heard if you have Noro then moving out of your room is not an option!

 

Yes, I meant this knowing some have trouble staying in their room, so don't tell anyone, and bounce around the ship from bathroom to bathroom. 

[neeuqdrazil]

I ended up with the QV bug after leaving the ship - I disembarked Wednesday morning, and was evacuating my digestive tract (just out the top, thankfully) by Wednesday evening. Flying home overnight that night was Not Fun, and the next 3 days were primarily sleeping and being feverish. I felt off on Wednesday afternoon, but figured that it was exhaustion plus a lot more walking than I had been doing for the previous almost 3 weeks. 

 

I managed to not spread it to my partner, however - diligent hand washing (and acute symptoms stopping while I was on the plane) seem to have done the trick. 

[Pushpit]

Sorry to hear that, it's never a good experience, but at least you got to the end of your time on QV. I'm sure you are aware of this, but keeping well hydrated is important during this period, even though it can be extra difficult. 

[seasickphil]

I had it, not on Cunard but on Regent, I reported it after not feeling very well and cancelling our excursion, Monday afternoon the medical staff came and left dehydration drinks along with some type of Imodium. I was told not leave the cabin and while my wife was allowed out she had to have room service for all her meals. Tuesday morning the nurse came to see me, i was still in bed feeling lousy, she took my temperature and it was 102 degrees she said that she would make arrangements to get me into the ships hospital, i asked if I could stay where I was,with a loo near and handy, she agreed but told me that she would return later that evening and if my temperature was still as high would really urge me to let the hospital team take over. I could not have left the cabin if I had wanted too, getting out of bed was difficult let alone walking around the ship. Anyway when the nurse returned in the evening, my temperature had dropped to 101 degrees, so i was allowed to stay in our cabin. Next day after feeling much better I was told that I would be allowed to leave the cabin 24 hours after my last you know what, (sorry this is far too much information I know) so a full 3 days after reporting it we, yes my wife stayed with me the whole time until we were allowed out. Unfortunately we disembarked the next day Good Friday and flew home, on Easter Sunday i tested positive for Covid. Not one of our better cruises and one which we will not look back with too many fond memories.

Edited February 13 by seasickphil

[Colin_Cameron]

On 2/4/2024 at 2:41 PM, roscoe39 said:

maybe not in your cabin.....!.......

As with all online posts the problem is in determining where the emphasis should be. Is the emphasis on "your" or "cabin"?