Cruising and the Flu

[bahama daydreamer]

I returned home from my cruise on Oct. 10 and heard there were people quarentined on my cruise due to illness. I received my H1N1 shot on Oct. 15 and came down with the flu on Oct . 20. I don't know if I was infected on the cruise or the few days after I returned home but regardless it was the worst flu I have ever had. I still can't get over the coughing and wheezing but other symptoms are gone. This years flu is really bad so if you are running a temp. please stay home and don't subject others to the illness. I know how bad I felt and I wouldn't want to think that I caused others the same pain and discomfort that I felt.

[czechgal]

I can't agree more! I work in a school health room and just about every single day I hear the same story. "I was sick before school; my mom gave me tylenol and sent me anyway" They usually show up in the health room about midday when the medicine wears off. In the meantime, they have infected quite a few others. If everyone would do the right thing and quit sending known germs out into the public, a whole lot of others would not have to suffer the consequences. Airlines need to be more proactive when it comes to keeping obviously ill people either isolated or off the planes, however their cancellation policies make it difficult for many to make last minute changes without heavy penalties.

The swine flu is rampant in our schools right now.

 

 

After 10 years of school nursing, that is one of the main reasons I quit. NOT the kids, not the illnesses, but the PARENTS and their poor decision making skills. The need for them to blame everyone/everything else for the circumstances and not taking responsibility for their own children. ("I had to send them to school, I'm in trouble with my attendance at work, and I can't miss another day unless you call me and tell me I have to leave." or, "I thought it was okay to send them if the Tylenol took their fever away." etc., etc.) NO personal responsiblity whatsoever. UGH!:mad:

 

Now don't get me wrong, there are MANY good parents out there, but the selfishness by the others really caused me great stress for 10 years.

 

To all of those school nurses out there, I'm thinking of you! Good luck and stay healthy!

[mattsmom99]

If your sick with the flu why would you want to go? For the health of others stay home. I cruise in 29 days and I'm doing everything I can to stay healthy. lot's of hand washing. Parents send their kids to school sick for diffrent reasons, they don't want to take care of them or they are affraid of going to jail. Where I live fines & jail time is strictly enforced if your kids miss more than I think it's 12 day per year. I know here parents got a memo stating due to the H1N1 they are going to allow for extra missed days, not to send kids to school sick. I wouldn't send them anyways I worry too much. just as if I get sick when it's time to cruise I'll tell my Husband & son to have fun and take pics.

[btorlv]

[/b]

 

We had 2 kids throwing up and several people coughing on our plane ride home from Miami this past weekend. What is wrong with these people that takes a child or themselves on a plane which they know for a fact they are sick. One of the 2 kids got sick in the asle while boarding! In my opinion, the airline should have requested the family to get off the plane. The 2 kids continued to be sick of their stomaches the whole 5 1/2 hours home! :confused:

 

I couldn't wait to get off that plane!:eek:

 

People need to be considerate of others and stay home if they are sick!

 

To the OP, I hope you get well soon!

We had the same thing happen to us last weekend fll to long beach . They had to call in a team to clean the vomit before we took off. We are both health care workers. By the time monday came around i was sick.

[cjackso8]

To the people asking, I received my seasonal flu shot back in september, and my H1N1 shot about 2 weeks ago.

 

The Seasonal flu shot is made with an inactivated virus, so there is no chance of getting the flu from that shot. However, the nasal spray AND the shot of the H1N1, is made from the virus, which will shed for a few days after vaccination. I don't really care HOW I got it, I'm just miserable. :(

 

thanks again for all the well wishes cruisers. :o

[nrdsb4]

And that is why I don't get vaccinated. IMO you wreck your immune system and make yourself MORE vulnerable to infection.

 

Hope you feel better soon.

 

Ridiculous. Thanks to vaccines, we have eradicated many dangerous diseases that used to ravage communities, killing children on a large scale and shortening the general human lifespan. Vaccines are responsible for the dramatic decline of human suffering that used to be commonplace. Unfortunately, we are starting to see diseases again which had basically disappeared from our society. That is because of this unfounded notion that vaccines are inherently dangerous-people are starting to withhold vaccines from their children. Then they are astonished when their children get sick and in some cases, die.

[nrdsb4]

To the people asking, I received my seasonal flu shot back in september, and my H1N1 shot about 2 weeks ago.

 

The Seasonal flu shot is made with an inactivated virus, so there is no chance of getting the flu from that shot. However, the nasal spray AND the shot of the H1N1, is made from the virus, which will shed for a few days after vaccination. I don't really care HOW I got it, I'm just miserable. :(

 

thanks again for all the well wishes cruisers. :o

 

Not true. The injectable H1N1 vaccine (the shot) is made from inactivated (killed) virus.

 

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-inact-h1n1.pdf

[nrdsb4]

I just got off the Carnival Miracle earlier this week and 5 of the 8 in our party came down with the flu just at the end of the trip (everyone was in perfect health prior to the cruise). I have had a friend tell me today that the same thing happened to his family on a Carnival cruise the week prior (ship unknown). I asked Carnival by email if they vaccinate their employees and they emailed back that they couldn't release that info. I am concerned because if they are immunizing with the nasal form of either flu vaccine, the recipient will shed the live virus for up to 3 weeks following administration. This could have some VERY serious implications for cruisers and I feel we should be told if this is where our illness have come from. We are Platinum and love Carnival, but I would have cancelled this cruise if I knew that staff were receiving the nasal vaccines. If anyone knows what protocol Carnival is using (if any) for their staff, I would be interested.

 

The chance of getting flu from being in the vicinity of someone vaccinated with the mist is extremely remote and almost non-existent in anyone other than the extremely immunocompromised (basically your bone marrow transplant recipients as their immune systems are being purposely wiped out in preparation for the transplant). These kinds of patients are too sick to be out and about anyway, so they will not be cruising.

 

Secondly, you do realize that you are walking around society amongst plenty of people who have received flumist or H1N1 mist vaccines, don't you? These people are plentiful and they are not causing mass infections from shedding virus! The mist contains a live but very weakened virus which does not cause infection in the general population. People are misinformed if they believe that merely being in the vicinity of a person who has had flumist puts them at great risk.

[eddiesgal]

My best wishes for a speedy recovery. I just saw a doctor's report on the "Today Show" that stated when flying, the biggest threat isn't those that you are travelling with , but those that have been sitting in your seat up to two hours prior to you sitting there. It was recommended that you wipe your seat down before using it. I have a small lysol spray that I plan on using that is much quicker than the wipes. :) Just thought I'd pass that bit of information along hoping it may help.

[mom23guys]

Just returned home from our Med cruise. Lots of people caught colds but no flu that we know of. Lots of people with coughs and runny noses but low or no fevers. No aches and pains etc, just a miserable cold. The few people who went to the infirmary were checked out for flu but as I said just cold. I flew home since I wasn't spending more time in Rome. Even the woman sitting next to me was coughing with the same thing she had gotten on the ship.

So many people call the common cold the flu.

I wouldn't fly with a fever to my cruise but a cold can last 2 weeks. What is one to do?

[Christine Frances]

Everyone keeps quoting 36.000 people dying every year from Seasonal Flu. Does anyone know what the percentage of those people rec'd a Flu Shot? I think those numbers could be a lot lower. I am getting both shots as soon as I can. I have invested too much time and money in my upcoming trips to chance being too sick to travel, getting sich while on the ship, or being denied boarding on either the cruise ship or airplane. It is also unfair to my fellow travelers. JMO

Cheers

[luv2cruise777l]

We had the same thing happen to us last weekend fll to long beach . They had to call in a team to clean the vomit before we took off. We are both health care workers. By the time monday came around i was sick.

 

I had mention that we flew from Miami but it was actually a flight from FLL to Long Beach. We sailed from Miami so that was in my head when I wrote the comment but we actually flew out of FLL. I think we were on the same plane. Was it Sat Oct 24th leaving from FLL at 5:35 on Jet Blue? Small world if it was!:)

 

My neice that was on the plane with me was sick by Tuesday. I was sitting in the same row as the children that were sick and my niece was in the row behind me. I am sure that is where she picked up her stomach flu.:eek:

[cruisegirl29]

Hi,

 

I have been home with my 8 yr old DD for the past 9 days. She tested positive for Influenza "A" aka possible H1N1. She had a sore throat (so sore the outside of her neck hurt), cough, very tired, high fever, chills, & no appetite. She could not or they would not give her tamiflu. This is a at Ped's office. From what I've learned many others who were not as sick as her received Tamiflu from the ER or their family doctor. Most were better in 3 days.

 

I am one that would not ever think of sending Emmah to school or anywhere that she could spread this germ. I'm amazed at how many people sent their kids to school just so they wouldn't miss the meaps even though they had a fever & were sick. We had both middle schools & 1 elementary school closed last week too due to this virus.

 

Emmah has been fever free for 2 days & I still haven't sent her back to school. She still doesn't feel great & why would I want to put her through that!!!

 

So far everyone else in the household is still healthy.....

 

Hope everyone who has this nasty virus gets better fast & anyone who is sick free stay healthy!!!

Sue

[amethyst08]

I am staying AWAY from the coughers and sneezers in my office. I refuse to get sick. I took the regular flu shot. The first sign of a cold, I am talking some meds and drinking orange juice. Sickness will not defeat me! I am getting on the Triumph dammit! lol :D

[gill_boo]

We just sailed at the beginning of October, and the day before we were to leave I woke up with a cold. Now, it shouldn't have been that bad, but because I have asthma it hits my lungs hard and while it seems I should be coughing up a lung due to tuberculosis or something, it was just a cold. We had sunk a lot of money into this trip, we were ready to go, the kids school schedule had been worked around and they were excited up the wazoo. I wouldn't have cancelled for anything. So we went to the airport and about an hour before our first flight I royally drugged myself up. Didn't cough once during the whole flight and slept most the time. I was mindful of doing the "sleeve sneeze" when in public. I kept my hands to myself and was over the cold 2 days into the cruise. A lot of people couldn't just cancel on a whim because they caught a cold, everything has been scheduled and organized, paid for and booked months ago, and I carry travel insurance just in case. But if I cancelled, I probably wouldn't be able to get away again for at least 6 months and I need my vacations to relax from a stressful job/life.

[Illinoisgal]

[quote name='eddiesgal']My best wishes for a speedy recovery. I just saw a doctor's report on the "Today Show" that stated when flying, the biggest threat isn't those that you are travelling with , but those that have been sitting in your seat up to two hours prior to you sitting there. It was recommended that you wipe your seat down before using it. I have a small lysol spray that I plan on using that is much quicker than the wipes. :) Just thought I'd pass that bit of information along hoping it may help.[/quote]

please be careful with the lysol spray, it will go airborne and some people may not be able to handle it. I cannot breathe at all when I go somewhere where it was used recently. People tend to over spray it anyways. So please be careful for those around you.

[Illinoisgal]

My Son started feeling ill yesterday at school. O work there, but happened to be there for the halloween party. He had a temp, so I took him right out and called our Dr. He got us right in thankfully. He is about 25 minutes away. In the time it took to drive him there , pay our co pay and get him checked out I started hurting. Weird horrible muscle pains, and a cough which I had sine the night before. I have brochitis due to the fall allergies I have every year , so I thought it was that. He proceeded to check me out. In that 1 hr time frame I went from feeling great to having a fever, chills and muscle pains. My loverly mother met us both at target, where I get my perscriptions filled. I called the pharmacy and told them my mom would be coming in to get the meds and could she use my credit card since I didnt have any cash etc on me when I went to school. She told me, yes, dont come in here. My mom lives about 20 min away from target, but i didnt want to go in and spread my germs. I sure wish more people thought like that.

The good news is our cruise is 20 days away. So even though we have been handwashing ALOT, doing power pixies, vitamins and salt water gargling we still got it. Im glad we got it now as opposed to later. seems like almost every time we fly one of us is sick a few days after we return.

Today son and I aer fever free. still coughing and very tired. Getting the tami flu that quick really helped us not get as sick I think. If you have the symptoms go get checked out right away!

[eddiesgal]

[quote name='Illinoisgal']please be careful with the lysol spray, it will go airborne and some people may not be able to handle it. I cannot breathe at all when I go somewhere where it was used recently. People tend to over spray it anyways. So please be careful for those around you.[/quote]

very good point and one that never occured to me. thanks for posting:)

[maynovmom]

I am cruising in April and just got sick with the h1n1 this week. (positive swab test because I am a teacher) What is[B] [COLOR=red]so[/COLOR][/B] strange about this flu is how quickly it hits you. Sunday I was fine except for a stuffy nose which I get often. Out of nowhere around 6:00 pm I felt a chill, had a temp of almost 101 and [B][COLOR=red]boom[/COLOR][/B] that was the beginning of a very quick and difficult flu! I went to the dr Mon. because I have asthma and I knew it absolutely had to be h1n1 because I had the reg flu shot already and never ever get a fever. I was put on tamiflu and by yesterday was feeling better. I was told to stay home from school the whole week and my husband and son were also given tamiflu even though they were not symptomatic. So far, so good. If they don't actually get the flu they should get the shot when available here in MA. I am honestly glad this whole thing is over for me. Now when it spreads thru my school I wont be worrying every day about my health. It was a crappy flu and strikes very quickly but the media certainly had me more concerned for myself than I needed to be. I do think I am going to be tired for a while. It knocks you off your feet for sure.

[Illinoisgal]

[quote name='eddiesgal']very good point and one that never occured to me. thanks for posting:)[/quote]

No problem! I was hoping that didnt come across snotty :) Something about it messing with my asthma or something. Ive gone into public restrooms where I had to turn around and go right back out. When you can taste it , its too much :)

[Illinoisgal]

[quote name='maynovmom']I am cruising in April and just got sick with the h1n1 this week. (positive swab test because I am a teacher) What is[B] [COLOR=red]so[/COLOR][/B] strange about this flu is how quickly it hits you. Sunday I was fine except for a stuffy nose which I get often. Out of nowhere around 6:00 pm I felt a chill, had a temp of almost 101 and [B][COLOR=red]boom[/COLOR][/B] that was the beginning of a very quick and difficult flu! I went to the dr Mon. because I have asthma and I knew it absolutely had to be h1n1 because I had the reg flu shot already and never ever get a fever. I was put on tamiflu and by yesterday was feeling better. I was told to stay home from school the whole week and my husband and son were also given tamiflu even though they were not symptomatic. So far, so good. If they don't actually get the flu they should get the shot when available here in MA. I am honestly glad this whole thing is over for me. Now when it spreads thru my school I wont be worrying every day about my health. It was a crappy flu and strikes very quickly but the media certainly had me more concerned for myself than I needed to be. I do think I am going to be tired for a while. It knocks you off your feet for sure.[/quote]


I agree! It is fast, and can be serious but not as bad as I thought it would be. Today Im soooo tired. ive been up 4 hrs and Im going to go take a nap. Son is on the floor playing legos. He didnt eat very much at lunch so I can tell he is still off. Make me wonder if some of the hyupe isnt on purpose to sell the vaccine.

[letmetellya]

Is it true that if you get h1n1 you wont get it again?Ive heard different ideas about it . Any thought? I cruise in Dec. and do daycare , trying hard to keep it away from the babys , and the shot isnt availible in my area . I sometimes wish we all should just get it and be done with it if we wont get it again.

[StillPooh]

[quote name='Illinoisgal'] Make me wonder if some of the hyupe isnt on purpose to sell the vaccine.[/quote]Not to mention churning the stock. You can't tell me Medimmune doesn't have the capacity to manufacture enough vaccine for everyone. They're just whipping people into a frenzy of demand with their deliberate shortage. :rolleyes:

[DaDivaMom]

So much to say but I'm just going to be nice.

Those of us with weak immune systems thank those of you who get your immunizations and prevent the spread of preventable diseases. At times due to our diseases we can't be immunized and if we do catch the germ we may become deathly ill and often times our symptoms will last longer than the usual patient's. I know it works well for those of you who don't get them and you say you've never had the flu but honestly you could have been a carrier and spread to someone who didn't have your great immune system! Just a thought that you may or may not want to consider.

I have CLL and had H1N1 last month, it took me almost 3 weeks to recover. I can't live in a box and I take precautions and I honestly appreciate those of you who get your vaccine because you aren't just protecting you, you're protecting me.:)

[Karysa]

[quote name='letmetellya']Is it true that if you get h1n1 you wont get it again?Ive heard different ideas about it . Any thought? I cruise in Dec. and do daycare , trying hard to keep it away from the babys , and the shot isnt availible in my area . I sometimes wish we all should just get it and be done with it if we wont get it again.[/quote]

Best to keep doing what you are doing and keeping it away from the little ones in your charge as they are very vulnerable to this flu. You also have to keep in mind that small children may have pregnant mother's or babies under 6 mths at home who are also at high risk for getting deathly ill from H1N1. Hopefully the vaccine will be available to you soon but I think that you are doing the right thing by doing your best to keep yourself and those around your safe until you can get vaccinated.