Norovirus Q&A With Dan Hanrahan

[2 4 sea]

This looks too good to be true.

 

http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:KS27W7aj38EJ:blog.taragana.com/pr/norovirus-aboard-cruise-ship-marco-polo-rapidly-eradicated-by-revolutionary-new-vaporisation-process-5017/+noro+virus+april&cd=10&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

[AAAAmerican]

tweknots,

 

WELCOME ABoard to Cruise Critic!

 

 

Having insurance will help you if there are more complications.

 

Do make sure it is a Primary Policy as well the Insurance firm is well financially in your State of Domicile.

 

 

Things do happen even when things aboard a ship are amiss..e.h..

A perfect example..is in New York City , NY on the Island and Borough in Manhattan ( We call that " In TOWN " here ) a New Ship just across the Atlantic came in to the Passenger Cruise Terminal ( PCT )which is on the North River ( Most call it the Hudson River even though it actually starts a few blocks North of the PCT .

 

 

This New almost Billion US Dollar Ship didn't even fit there..even the Gang Plank didn't... talk about POOR POOR PLANNING ...

 

The W.C's aboard must be made for lillyputians too...

 

As in everthing the Boy Scouts Motto is true..

 

(( BE PREPARED ))

 

 

 

 

New to board. Hello everyone. Scheduled for March 21 sailing on the Mercury, our 1st Celebrity cruise. We have sailed 7 other times on Royal Caribbean and Holland America. I preferred to reschedule for the April 9 sailing but wife wanted to go March 21. I sure hope we made the right choice. One comment in the Q&A with the president of Celebrity that has me a little concerned is the posssibility of another delay in departure. If the cleaning does not meet the expectations of the CDC or Celebrity, the departure may be delayed again. I wonder when this decision will be made, and will they again offer a full refund? If I drive the 5 hours to Charleston on Sunday and find out then the ship has been delayed again, I'm done. I would expect to be reimbursed for a hotel Sunday night and meals, plus a fulll refund for the cruise.

[FinelyCruising]

~~You said you are a repeat cruiser with them....

 

Repeat cruiser and repeat poster with a new name!;)

[Beachbums24]

Greeting :)

We were on the Mercury for it's 3/8 sailing with booked cabins 1231 and 9019. For those of you who asked after Carlos..he is alive and well on Vista Deck 9 and asked me to also send greetings back to his friends here.

 

The ship cabins were not as clean as we hoped. I had Carlos change out the pillows which had multiple rings of brown sweat on two covered of course with clean pillow slips. I took numerous photos and videos of what we thought were important to document the lack cleanliness on the ship in spite of the care given by the crew on our sailing and the last two out of Charleston. I will not post them all since it is not the forum to do so.

 

Wife was down with the Noro 2 days starting 3/15 and her folks in 1231 were hit very hard with it for 3 days starting the early morning departure of St. Thomas..It was their 60th wedding Anniversary Cruise and in spite of this upset we all enjoyed the experience. On 3/15 when the nurse visted the cabin she gave me the number of 358 down at that time.

 

The linked photos are from Cabin 9019.

 

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj130/beachbums24/DSC02019.jpg

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj130/beachbums24/DSC02018.jpg

 

I never said a word to the Cabin staff and it is still there today unless the 50 extra workers they have now put on at Carleston handle the mold and other cleaning these cabins really need to get a leg up on the real problems.They had numerous toilets malfunctions on Vista Deck with passangers complaining daily.

 

I did not get sick. I hold no malice towards Celbrity..Noro is a hard thing to eradicate.

 

This might help you to understand it...;)

 

"Dr. Richard Besser, tells Good Morning America that norovirus causes half of foodborne diseases and that it only takes “ten ORGANISMS to get sick.” The NOROVIRUS LIVES on surfaces and can spread to the next occupant in a cruise ship cabin a week later."

 

Viruses are not actually organisms. Unlike other organisms, they have no DNA and TO LIVE THEY ARE TOTALLY DEPENDENT UPON GETTING INTO THE HOST'S LIVING CELLS. THEN THEIR RNA MANAGES TO CONTROL THE CELL IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE CELL REPLICATES THE VIRUS INTO A LARGE NUMBER. FINALLY THE CELL RUPTURES AND ALL THE NEW VIRUSES CAN BE CARRIED IN BODY FLUIDS OF THE HOST AND EVENTUALLY BE EXPELLED FROM THE BODY FROM THE LUNGS, MOUTH, FECES ETC. Viruses would more accurately be called PARTICLES.

This is the same with all viruses, so far as is known now.

Also, a person may feel well when boarding because his viral (or some other illness) may be in the prior state of incubation before symptoms appear. Then,if that person has sneezing or coughing, he or she should either use facial tissues and properly discard them or if a tissue is not available, be sure to cough or sneeze into the crux of the elbow. Never sneeze or cough without covering it up. The viruses can be spread across an entire 15 foot room on the minuscule droplets of moisture from the patient. Also never cough into the hand. Thousands of the virus particles could then be spread onto anything the patient touches.

 

 

 

...also if you google Norovirus in Google News you will find the 90 percent of the Hospitals in the UK have been hit with it big time these last few weeks.

 

Be Well Everyone..and Good Luck to the Mercury..they rolled the dice when the let it out of port on 3/8..they lost.:eek:

 

Now it is time to take a closer look. I have a friend who is going to check out room 9019 for what I have posted and other items when they sail shortly..It will be the litmus test on just how well they do. Room 1231 was not much better in that respect.

[Chrisv94]

Pharma. Grade Charcoal comes in tablets

 

Ask at your Drug Store and the head Chemist. Yes they have to keep there licenses up so continue with the education process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love the idea of the charcoal tablets and will pick some up pronto. I also have used Emitrol in the past and it stops nausea/vomiying almost instantly. I totally buy the Blood type theory as I am an "O" and have had Noro three times.

 

I gotta admit, the idea of Pepto every morning isnt my speed. I also have a friend who is a DR who says taking immodium for noro is the worst thing you can do because it holds the virus in. Who knows!

[WINEMANVISALIA]

going to alaska in may and wanted a real idea of our cabin 9019 and since you were in it...could you post more pics of the rest of the cabin...

 

glad to know that you did not get sick...

 

we will be prepared for our cruise...

 

waiting or may and alaska!

[mugwood]

Greeting :)

...also if you google Norovirus in Google News you will find the 90 percent of the Hospitals in the UK have been hit with it big time these last few weeks.

 

Don't know what this part was all about, certainly nothing on this side of the pond. We don't have such trivialities in our hospitals, we have real infections such as mrsa, now there's a real disease.:eek:

[Beachbums24]

Don't know what this part was all about, certainly nothing on this side of the pond. We don't have such trivialities in our hospitals, we have real infections such as mrsa, now there's a real disease.:eek:

 

:D Nice try..Keep your pecker up..this too will pass :rolleyes:

 

Here is just a partial list....

 

 

Outbreak of norovirus at Kent hospital closes ward

BBC News - ‎Mar 17, 2010‎

 

HARLOW: PAH closes beds after outbreak of norovirus vomiting bug

Harlow Herald 24 - ‎Mar 17, 2010‎

 

 

Norovirus shuts Medway Maritime Hospital ward

Kent Online - ‎Mar 16, 2010‎

 

Two wards still closed at Royal London Hospital due to norovirus

East London Advertiser - ‎Mar 16, 2010‎

 

Norovirus closes down Bristol wards

Bristol Evening Post - ‎Mar 16, 2010‎

 

 

Virus sees wards closed at Yeovil Hospital

3:14pm Monday 22nd March 2010

 

Bath hospital restricts visiting due to norovirus

BBC News - ‎Feb 24, 2010‎

 

Exeter hospital hit by norovirus

Mid Devon Star - ‎Mar 15, 2010‎

 

Norovirus struck Broomfield Hospital

BBC News - ‎Feb 24, 2010‎

 

Inov8 helps fight norovirus at midlands hospital

 

 

Isle of Man hospital reopens after norovirus outbreak

BBC News - ‎Mar 5, 2010‎

 

 

 

Norovirus Bug Spreads, Causes Midlands Hospitals to Close Down

y - ‎Mar 3, 2010‎

 

 

Frenchay and Southmead wards shut by vomiting bug

BBC News - ‎Mar 18, 2010‎

 

Concerns over action taken to deal with new vomiting bug strain

Published Date: 19 March 2010

By LYNDSAY MOSS

CONCERNS have been raised about a new strain of the winter vomiting virus affecting some patients in Scotland.

 

Labour MSP Dr Richard Simpson said he was worried about the emergence of the virulent strain of norovirus, known as G11.4.

 

He said he was particularly concerned that it might be difficult to track because ministers had admitted they did not routinely request or collect typing data on different strains of the bug.

 

Figures from Health Protection Scotland have shown that the number of wards closed as a result of norovirus had risen from 30 to 31 in the past week.

 

 

Hinchingbrooke Hospital on lockdown after virus and infection outbreaks

Hunts Post - ‎Mar 16, 2010‎

All visiting has been stopped at Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust due to three wards being closed following an outbreak of Norovirus. ...

 

 

QEH latest: Visitors still banned this weekend

Lynn News - Daisy Wallage - ‎Mar 19, 2010‎

LYNN'S Queen Elizabeth Hospital will remain closed to visitors this weekend as the on-going battle with norovirus continues, ...

 

Stoke Mandeville, Amersham And Wycombe Hit By Norovirus

Mix 96 - ‎Mar 4, 2010‎

 

 

 

http://news.google.com/news/story?cf=all&ned=us&hl=en&ncl=dMyzcDKyB7PCv0MwEusxJs3kXlmQM

 

 

http://news.google.com/news/story?cf=all&ned=us&hl=en&ncl=dMyzcDKyB7PCv0MwEusxJs3kXlmQM&rfilter=3&sf_loc=826&hubgeo=United+Kingdom

[Beachbums24]

going to alaska in may and wanted a real idea of our cabin 9019 and since you were in it...could you post more pics of the rest of the cabin...

 

glad to know that you did not get sick...

 

we will be prepared for our cruise...

 

waiting or may and alaska!

 

All the rest are videos..sorry..only stills are close in shots of stains on the carpet and crap under the beds etc. which would not give you a feel of the cabin. Best to just go to Celeb web site and view the floor plan.

[mugwood]

:D Nice try..Keep your pecker up..this too will pass :rolleyes:

 

Here is just a partial list....

 

 

CONCERNS have been raised about a new strain of the winter vomiting virus affecting some patients in Scotland.

 

Labour MSP Dr Richard Simpson said he was worried about the emergence of the virulent strain of norovirus, known as G11.4.

 

 

Ah that explains it, we have so many different viruses we give them all little numbers, it is just to try and fool the public into thinking the original virus has been remedied. Things were so much simpler when it was one generic name for different symptoms; black plague, scarlet fever, if it didn't use a colour in the descriptor it wasn't a real disease

[Beachbums24]

Ah that explains it, we have so many different viruses we give them all little numbers, it is just to try and fool the public into thinking the original virus has been remedied. Things were so much simpler when it was one generic name for different symptoms; black plague, scarlet fever, if it didn't use a colour in the descriptor it wasn't a real disease

 

 

I have it from a reliable source that the outbreak here in South Carolina coincided with the annual hunt for the wild haggis.

 

http://improbable.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/haggis.jpg

 

Some claim it was due to improper water temperature.

 

http://www.edzell.org/arch%20images/Haggis%20Recipe.jpg

 

 

I escaped the bug by starting each day on my cruise with two bottles of Belhaven's Stout and only experienced the "aromas of baker's chocolate" and "charred nuts". Delicious!

 

;)

[Canoeguy]

Regarding President Hanrahan's last sentence that the low incidence of illness among the crew is proof that they are following good procedures demands a response. My conclusion of this low illness incidence is as follows

1) Perhaps their average age is lower than the passengers and they have better immunity.

2) Maybe they have built up an immunity.

3) Perhaps they do not always report the illness for reasons we all understand.

4)Maybe they eat in a different area.

5)Perhaps their cabins are used by the same cruise members for the duration of their assignment.

A lot of "perhaps" and "maybes", but definitely not enough information to form a conclusion. Come on President Hanrahan, let's hear more ideas for ridding the cruise industry of this scourge.

[mugwood]

I "aromas of baker's chocolate" and "charred nuts".

;)

 

That can happen to a true scotsman if he stands too near an open fire while wearing the kilt;)

[Beachbums24]

A Five Cases of Norovirus on Celebrity Mercury Cruise Ship

posted 03/24/10

 

Charleston, SC - A South Carolina-based cruise ship is at sea again with five cases of norovirus reported, according to the Royal Carribean Cruises Limited company.

A stomach bug afflicted nearly 1,000 passengers on the Celebrity Mercury's previous three voyages from Charleston. The ship left for the Caribbean on Sunday after three days of cleaning. The cruise line says nearly 1,100 passengers were on board. It can carry nearly 1,900 passengers.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spokesman Ricardo Beato says agency investigators inspected the ship Sunday.

http://www.wciv.com/news/stories/0310/718974.html

[firstplacechef]

That is .005 or .5% of the population of the ship, considerable less than the general population as a whole. Hopefully, it will stay low.

[SeaBlu]

Well all of these things that you all mention are a problem, anytime you get this many people eating and living in one place you are likely to have problems.

 

But I will tell you one of the things that really bothers me! If you sit back and watch your "fellow passengers" come through the Breakfast Buffet lines you may notice the pax that are arriving wearing the robes that are clearly marked "do not wear out of the room". But there they are in line to eat looking like they just rolled out of bed. You will most likely see that there are alson people in line wearing their pajamas! Most of these "fellow passengers" have a very clear appearance of NOT having showered, NOT combed their hair, it appears that they have ONLY rolled out of bed, may or may NOT have put a robe on and come straight to the breakfast buffet. NOW my thought is IF they have not showered OR even bothered to comb or brush their hair: What are the chances that they have washed their hands? AND where have their hands been all night? AND NOW they are using their hands to touch the food next to the food that 'others' are going to eat!! yuk! :(

 

We will have OUR meals in the dining room - Thank you!

[Beachbums24]

That is .005 or .5% of the population of the ship, considerable less than the general population as a whole. Hopefully, it will stay low.

I hope so too..as I recall they are now required to :Making twice daily reports of gastrointestinal illness cases to the VSP. based upon the code red on the last three sailing. I did talk to a passenger and crew member yesterday and knew some were already Ill.

[Mercruiser]

According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, a norovirus vaccine is undergoing clinical trials. The vaccine is a nasally-delivered, dry powder type. Per the published schedule, the study will be completed around June 2010.

I hope this vaccine is successful. See http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00973284?term=Ligocyte&rank=2

 

[madelinerose]

Well all of these things that you all mention are a problem, anytime you get this many people eating and living in one place you are likely to have problems.

 

But I will tell you one of the things that really bothers me! If you sit back and watch your "fellow passengers" come through the Breakfast Buffet lines you may notice the pax that are arriving wearing the robes that are clearly marked "do not wear out of the room". But there they are in line to eat looking like they just rolled out of bed. You will most likely see that there are alson people in line wearing their pajamas! Most of these "fellow passengers" have a very clear appearance of NOT having showered, NOT combed their hair, it appears that they have ONLY rolled out of bed, may or may NOT have put a robe on and come straight to the breakfast buffet. NOW my thought is IF they have not showered OR even bothered to comb or brush their hair: What are the chances that they have washed their hands? AND where have their hands been all night? AND NOW they are using their hands to touch the food next to the food that 'others' are going to eat!! yuk! :(We will have OUR meals in the dining room - Thank you!

 

 

I've read several of your posts. Are you always this angry? :rolleyes:

 

Hope your dining room wait staff have washed their hands. ;)

[benjispice]

It was this sentence in the interview that really grabbed my attention:

 

20 percent of passengers were ill from a virus that's presumed Norovirus; fewer than 2 percent of crewmembers were affected by the illness.

 

Leads to to believe X did everything they could, and that this was beyond anyone's control. As a previous poster mentioned, there was an outbreak it seems in Charleston around that time, so it makes sense to me that people brought in onboard and it spread like wildfire.

[twentyknots]

We arrived this morning in Charleston on schedule. Overall the cruise was fine; no apparent widspread sickness. Lots of cancellations though; we had fewer than 1100 onboard. Code red in effect for the entire cruise. No official update from the captain, so we asked several crew members for updates. Our head waiter told us near the end of the cruise that there had been zero cases; a casino dealer said four cases early in the cruise, but no new cases after day 3. I overheard a passenger on the bus today say that he had hear different reports ranging from zero to 100. I seriously doubt the higher number. We didn't have any absenteesim at our dinner table, or any in our immediate area.

 

twentyknots

[Northern transplant]

Returned yesterday from Mercury cruise of March 21 - less than 10 persons reported ill ! Crew was in constant cleaning mode and I feel that it really paid off. Also, passengers were very alert regarding hand washing and sanitizing. Excellent cruise - especially since so many canceled - casino was never really crowded!:eek:

[2 4 sea]

Returned yesterday from Mercury cruise of March 21 - less than 10 persons reported ill ! Crew was in constant cleaning mode and I feel that it really paid off. Also, passengers were very alert regarding hand washing and sanitizing. Excellent cruise - especially since so many canceled - casino was never really crowded!:eek:

 

Excellent! Did you also have new bedding and pillows? Something was working!

[ivkids]

In January, we did B2B on the Equinox. I had the misfortune of getting the virus on each Cruise. So many people would tell me in conversation, that they had loved ones who were sick, I asked if they reported, they would say no. When I got sick, I went to the Medical Office. I was asked to complete forms detailing eveyplace I had visited and ate, this was not easy when you are sick. They gave me a shot, I sleep like a baby, and could not leave my cabin for 24 hours. I asked "can I get this again" and was told "no", clearly that is wrong. The second time I got sick was in the middle of the night. I called Medical, they sent a nurse to our cabin, again the miracle shot, more sleep and I missed another port :( All in all, I have no complaints about Celebrity, I just wish all who were sick would do the right thing and notify the Medical area.

[Fungusgnat]

My experience, on another cruise line all together, was that unless there were x number of people asking for help, it wasn't a concern. My cabin mate and I were puking all night - but no one was very concerned about that. Gave me some Gatorade and called it good.

 

Had eaten in MDR for first time - much preferring buffet where hand sanitizers were required before you could even receive your plate. Such precautions did not exist in MDR. Won't do that again.