Ebola scare?

[RuthlessBoss]

I'd be more worried about crew from affected countries. The long incubation period makes it kind of scary. There is much that is not known yet about Ebola. The nurse in Spain who contracted it was wearing a head to toe protective suit with respirator.

 

But balance that out with the knowledge there are a LOT of nasty bugs in the world. Every year over 2000 cases of bubonic plague are reported world wide.

 

But the flu takes the cake.... each year on average 26,000 people die of it in the US alone.

 

Wash your hands.

 

Commentators are saying we are panicking over Ebola, yet there's so much more spread and deaths with the flu in general. Ebola also is a contact disease, not airborne.

[funinthesun1964]

I just heard on the news that the Dallas patient with Ebola has passed. Prayers for the family, and the caregivers who treated him.

[cruizinisthebest]

That is so sad.

[andy.capitan]

Commentators are saying we are panicking over Ebola, yet there's so much more spread and deaths with the flu in general. Ebola also is a contact disease, not airborne.

 

At least there is a vaccine for flu and survival rate for ebola is much lower.

[Smart Arsenal Fan]

I'd be more worried about crew from affected countries. The long incubation period makes it kind of scary. There is much that is not known yet about Ebola. The nurse in Spain who contracted it was wearing a head to toe protective suit with respirator.

 

But balance that out with the knowledge there are a LOT of nasty bugs in the world. Every year over 2000 cases of bubonic plague are reported world wide.

 

But the flu takes the cake.... each year on average 26,000 people die of it in the US alone.

 

Wash your hands.

 

And even scarier, 40,000 fatal car accidents each year. :eek: I for one will not be touching any car anytime soon!

[RuthlessBoss]

I'd be more worried about crew from affected countries. The long incubation period makes it kind of scary. There is much that is not known yet about Ebola. The nurse in Spain who contracted it was wearing a head to toe protective suit with respirator.

 

But balance that out with the knowledge there are a LOT of nasty bugs in the world. Every year over 2000 cases of bubonic plague are reported world wide.

 

But the flu takes the cake.... each year on average 26,000 people die of it in the US alone.

 

Wash your hands.

 

If a crew member is from the affected areas, they won't be sick unless restarting a new contract after their months off.. It would take far more than 3 weeks for a new crew person to be on a ship

 

As for the person in Spain, today it was broadcast she said she 'might' have touched some bare skin wiping her face.

Edited October 8, 2014 by RuthlessBoss

[katiel53]

And even scarier, 40,000 fatal car accidents each year. :eek: I for one will not be touching any car anytime soon!

 

Somehow I didn't find any humor in your post. I thought it was kind of a rude remark especially right after someone posted the man in Texas died.

[RuthlessBoss]

Somehow I didn't find any humor in your post. I thought it was kind of a rude remark especially right after someone posted the man in Texas died.

 

I think the remark was in reference to another post.

[elliair]

Thinking ebola won't spread is naive at best. It is much more likely to spread by air than cruise ship.

 

I don't know about that, I think about how many ships I've been on with the noro virus and how fast it spreads. Seeing some of the habits of people in the restrooms, leads me to believe any communicable disease can spread quickly. I have caught nasty respiratorty infections on a ship. Nothing will surprise me.

Edited October 8, 2014 by elliair

[guxu]

For the norovirus, literally you have to eat sick people's stool or vomit to get it. But it is still spreading quickly.

 

For ebola, once you touch it, you are done. Washing hands is useless.

[meanjean80]

I just read a news website that said Holland America changed one of their itineraries, but Carnival, NCL and Royal Caribbean do not have any ships going to the affected areas.

 

...except for Texas.

[golfadj]

I think the remark was in reference to another post.

 

still think it was in poor taste

[Smart Arsenal Fan]

Somehow I didn't find any humor in your post. I thought it was kind of a rude remark especially right after someone posted the man in Texas died.

 

Apologies if taken that way... was only trying to keep things in a realistic perspective. Futile, I know.

And in all honesty it was only actually rude if those who knew him are currently reading this.

[chengkp75]

For the norovirus, literally you have to eat sick people's stool or vomit to get it. But it is still spreading quickly.

 

For ebola, once you touch it, you are done. Washing hands is useless.

 

What?

 

Noro is contagious from surfaces and food stuff. You don't need to ingest vomit or stool to catch it.

 

Ebola on the other hand is transmitted via bodily fluids. Just touching the virus, from a surface or an infected person won't give you ebola, you have to introduce the virus into your body through an open sore or ingestion. And the CDC states that the most effective means of keeping from catching ebola is to wash your hands.

[Smart Arsenal Fan]

still think it was in poor taste

 

Again apologies. Especially to those who knew him.

 

But let's see... off the top of my head, in recent years, the sky was falling with..... SARS, Bird Flu, Mad Cow Disease, Swine Flu, West Nile Virus, um.. Anthrax... I think Dengue Fever was in there for a while...

 

It's the News Who Cry Wolf.

 

Yes, washing your hands is always a good idea, but you are thousands of times more likely to die driving to buy your soap. I just wish the 24 hour news would get obsessed with things that matter, for once.

[guxu]

What?

 

Noro is contagious from surfaces and food stuff. You don't need to ingest vomit or stool to catch it.

Nrorvirus does not just appear from nowhere. Where did those surfaces and food stuff get the norovirus? Yes, from sick people's vomit or stool.

 

Ebola on the other hand is transmitted via bodily fluids. Just touching the virus, from a surface or an infected person won't give you ebola, you have to introduce the virus into your body through an open sore or ingestion. And the CDC states that the most effective means of keeping from catching ebola is to wash your hands.

This sounds so wrong. In reality, everyone has minor cuts on your skin that you may not even know. That's why they are wearing FULL protection suit.

 

http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/prevention/

 

It says "avoid contact", "Do not handle" everywhere. It never says you can touch the virus and just wash your hands and you should be OK.

[chengkp75]

Nrorvirus does not just appear from nowhere. Where did those surfaces and food stuff get the norovirus? Yes, from sick people's vomit or stool. While the initial infection of noro is a fecal to oral contamination, once a person is infected they can spread the virus via sneezes and coughs.

 

 

This sounds so wrong. In reality, everyone has minor cuts on your skin that you may not even know. That's why they are wearing FULL protection suit.

This is true for those who are actively handling infected people and their blood.

 

http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/prevention/

 

It says "avoid contact", "Do not handle" everywhere. It never says you can touch the virus and just wash your hands and you should be OK.

 

You forgot to include the words "blood and bodily fluids" to "avoid contact" and "do not handle"

 

In a first world setting, noro is far more contagious than ebola. The main reason for the continuing spread of ebola in West Africa is the poor hygiene, poor sanitation, poor water quality, ethnic burial procedures, and the availability and use of "bush meat" which is where the virus came from in the first place.

[guxu]

Norovirus is transmitted through the fecal-oral (feces meaning “stool” and oral meaning “mouth”) route. This means you have to "swallow" the virus particles contained in the feces or vomit of someone who has the virus. “Swallow” means to ingest it into your gastro-intestinal system which is through your mouth.

 

Remember that you cannot catch it by just touching a doorknob. You would have to put your hand into your mouth. Therefore, hand-washing is imperative to prevention of transmission.



[chengkp75]

Norovirus is transmitted through the fecal-oral (feces meaning “stool” and oral meaning “mouth”) route. This means you have to "swallow" the virus particles contained in the feces or vomit of someone who has the virus. “Swallow” means to ingest it into your gastro-intestinal system which is through your mouth.

 

Remember that you cannot catch it by just touching a doorknob. You would have to put your hand into your mouth. Therefore, hand-washing is imperative to prevention of transmission.



 

Quite well aware of the transmission vectors of noro, having worked in the cruise industry for several years. As I've said, the original infection is from a fecal to oral cross contamination (which could be from the person not washing hands after using the bathroom), but that person could sneeze on his hands (transferring the virus to his hands), and then touch the tongs in the buffet line, transferring the virus to the tongs. You then touch the tongs, which transfers the virus to your hands. You then pick up the hamburger bun that you picked up with the tongs, and the virus is now on the bun, which you eat. This roundabout transmission vector is very common with noro, and shows how secondary and tertiary contact can cause transmission. You are correct that hand washing is essential to stop or slow the transmission.

 

The title of this thread says it all; this is a scare. Is ebola a serious disease? Yes. Is it the boogeyman that you are proposing? Not likely. Is touching a doorknob that an infected person touched (not their blood) a "death sentence" as you stated: "For ebola, once you touch it, you are done. Washing hands is useless." Not even close.

 

Sorry, done here, I realize that nothing I say will affect your perception of ebola, so I'll move along and let you folks worry about this on your own.

[runner15km]

That is the same thing I saw on another website. Ok, that makes me feel better. No I have not heard anything about Ebola being found in the Caribbean. Was just curious if anyone else had heard anything about any of their cruises being affected by an Ebola scare.

 

I'm also concern about passengers from Dallas.:eek:

[hydro1570]

Now I am starting to believe it is a lot easier to catch ebola than they are making it seem. There is a police officer that is now in the hospital with possible ebola, so lets see how this plays out. If in fact he has it then we will know it is a lot easier to catch then they have originally stated. He went to the home in Texas to serve papers after the sick patient was already at the hospital. Im pretty sure he didn't touch any bodily fluids that were left behind by the patient. :eek:

[CI66774]

I, for one, worry much more about stepping off of a curb and getting hit by a Mack truck or being creamed by a drunk driver. I always practice good hygiene but some things, theoretically, can happen even if incredibly unlikely. While we should take precautions, I'm not worried. If something were to happen, I would try to fight the virus and hope I have my affairs in order. All of us are destined to die and some will die before others. The best we can do is take reasonable precautions and enjoy our time on this earth.

Edited October 8, 2014 by CI66774

[andy.capitan]

I doubt terrorists would be interested in spreading noro, but ebola?

[Badfinger]

Transmitted via body fluids? Not to worry. I have never seen anyone lick their fingers then touch the serving utensils in the lido buffet. Um, hmmm, never mind.

Edited October 8, 2014 by Badfinger

[happymoes]

Ebola is not spread through the air or water or food.

 

Then it makes me question why all the medical workers are suited up in full respiratory suits...

 

 

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