Wearing surgical masks when others start coughing on tours

[Shmoo here]

I am just like your mother -- I always let people around me know I am not infectious but I get awful looks.......:o

That's me, too. Side effect from my meds - dry cough. Plus, any change in environment (air conditioning to going outside, or vice versa) causes a cough.,

 

Most times it's just a couple of coughs. Sometimes I cough for quite a bit.

 

Believe me, I hate it, also. But I can't help it.

[laughing husky]

Although I understand your concern, I would just like to say not everyone with a hacking cough is contagious. Some have lung problems. Or others have allergies. My mom used to have a cough for years that turned out to be a combination of allergies and a side effect from medicine. We'd go out to eat, and she'd start coughing (often sounded like she was choking she'd cough so hard), and people would stare at me like why wasn't I helping her. But I was so used to it, that I ignored it most of the time.

 

I know there are times when people are coughing because they are sick, but there are also times when they are not.

 

That said, I definitely think being proactive in our own health is a good idea. Masks might be one way, avoiding crowds, antibacterial lotions, washing hands, anything that helps a person stay well. It is an individual decision though.

 

thank you for saying this. I have asthma....I cough....I am not contagious. I try to tell people, but they look at me as if I have leprosy. I am a retired medical provider. I do know that I am not contagious. One of the other most common causes of a cough is acid reflux...heartburn..god knows that there is a lot of that on a ship, or plane. Please, before you make remarks about people who are coughing, please thank God that it is not you..

[Marelaine]

I'm an admitted germaphobe and love the OP for wanting to wear a germ filtering mask. I wish they would hand them out on the planes. When I fly, I wear a scarf. If anyone starts coughing, I warp the scarf to cover my mouth and nose whenever anyone sneezes. I direct the air vent to create an air current in front of my face. Vacations are few and far between. I don't want to spend them holed up in my cabin with a hacking cough and fever.

 

I carry individually wrapped disinfectant wipes in my purse. When I fly, I wipe down our trays and the arms of our seats, and never touch the magazines that are tucked into the seat pocket.

[kruisey]

It seems on every cruise these days folks are fine for the first three days then the coughing starts.

Unable to use stairs now so have to use elevators.On my last cruise I caught the throat bug and cough twice.I was not a happy puppy for it makes one feel miserable as all of who have been through this experience.

When I first started with Princess I am certain we did not get this cough around to the same ex stent.Still personally think it is an air conditioning problem which exacerbates this infection. .

[leck57]

I agree with the sentiment on here about being stuck with people who are not well, but I wonder how many commenting on here would out themselves if they were sick themselves, which may then lead to them being confined to their cabin.

Very few, I bet. If I was really sick I probably wouldn't want to do much anyway but if it was just a cough/cold, I would not report.

Yep, selfish on my part but I bet 99% of people would do the same thing. Sometimes we just have to live with it.

[marchie1053]

We're on our next cruise on 29th October and are considering getting flu jabs beforehand - every cruise = the free gift of someone's cough ... We have been told that 'cabin cough' can be caused by a combination of air-conditioning (system maintenance? cannot influence that ...) and the dry air that it produces. On the last cruise someone suggested running the shower on cold water for 5 minutes as soon as you enter the cabin to boost the moisture content of the air. By that stage, we had started to cough so it will be afresh start this time!

[Toofarfromthesea]

Maybe if we weren't so concerned about obliterating every germ that come within our ambit our bodies would have built up enough resistance that we wouldn't have fear every cough or sneeze we encounter?

[marchie1053]

Maybe if we weren't so concerned about obliterating every germ that come within our ambit our bodies would have built up enough resistance that we wouldn't have fear every cough or sneeze we encounter?

 

That had crossed my mind (it's a very short journey ...). I can cope with the coughing and sneezing in general - it's when it's close enough to turn my coffee into a cappuccino that I take umbrage .. :p

[dieselmama]

I'm an admitted germaphobe and love the OP for wanting to wear a germ filtering mask. I wish they would hand them out on the planes. When I fly, I wear a scarf. If anyone starts coughing, I warp the scarf to cover my mouth and nose whenever anyone sneezes. I direct the air vent to create an air current in front of my face. Vacations are few and far between. I don't want to spend them holed up in my cabin with a hacking cough and fever.

 

I carry individually wrapped disinfectant wipes in my purse. When I fly, I wipe down our trays and the arms of our seats, and never touch the magazines that are tucked into the seat pocket.

 

Wiping down the seat tray is a great idea, but be careful of those air vents... yuck! http://www.cnn.com/travel/article/airplane-airport-germs/index.html

 

We have to be careful because my son has immune issues, and really crappy lungs (he is missing most of his left lung and his right lung is similar to someone with emphysema because of his birth defect and he has a partially paralyzed diaphragm). We typically don't travel in winter, wash hands and use sanitizer frequently, and change clothes as soon as we return from outings in public when we have been around sneezer/coughers. And typical masks are only good for 20 minutes, because the moisture in your breath starts to inhibit the filtration benefits of them... hospital staff are supposed to change them every 20 minutes!

[tobyt]

I know it is going to sound kind of crazy but even after washing down the airplane tray table etc I also do the hotel room, bathroom of hotel and repeat several times during the week n the ship. The rag bucket and all of the room steward items get used room after room after room...plus sanitizer after menus in the dining room...suppressed immune system equals extra care..

[marchie1053]

tobyt #35 and dieselmama #34 - The level of self-protection is whatever makes you feel comfortable without impinging upon your fellow cruisers. Stress or general worry isn't going to help you feel well and feeling '1 degree under' during times of contagion will not help anybody. And, to the casual observer, it is probably not apparent that the passenger has special needs or vulnerabilities so perhaps a little more tolerance might help - one or two comments in a related thread about shared tables were incredibly crass and insensitive!

[Marelaine]

Wiping down the seat tray is a great idea, but be careful of those air vents... yuck! http://www.cnn.com/travel/article/airplane-airport-germs/index.html

 

We have to be careful because my son has immune issues, and really crappy lungs (he is missing most of his left lung and his right lung is similar to someone with emphysema because of his birth defect and he has a partially paralyzed diaphragm). We typically don't travel in winter, wash hands and use sanitizer frequently, and change clothes as soon as we return from outings in public when we have been around sneezer/coughers. And typical masks are only good for 20 minutes, because the moisture in your breath starts to inhibit the filtration benefits of them... hospital staff are supposed to change them every 20 minutes!

 

'Ick' is right; I never aim the vents at my face. I aim them diagonally away, so they blow a current, that in my wildest hope, would take those germs away from my face.

[justafem]

I used to take a med that caused me to cough loudly, deep and sometimes prolonged. I covered my mouth, but I and my family knew I wasn't contagious or even sick. In fact when we did the ultimate ships tour, I had just ended the med and was still in coughing mode.

 

Then there's "morning sneezes", which I've had as long as I can remember. A combination of clearing out the nasal passages, dust, dry air and of course pollen!

 

AND I'm a smoker, so I get that too.

 

My father takes a respiratory med that also causes coughing.

 

None of us are "sick".

[Nebr.cruiser]

Even though I seldom have a contagious cough, I-- of course-- still cover my mouth with my allergy-induced cough.

 

I probably wouldn't wear a mask around others except in really extreme circumstances.

[dieselmama]

tobyt #35 and dieselmama #34 - The level of self-protection is whatever makes you feel comfortable without impinging upon your fellow cruisers. Stress or general worry isn't going to help you feel well and feeling '1 degree under' during times of contagion will not help anybody. And, to the casual observer, it is probably not apparent that the passenger has special needs or vulnerabilities so perhaps a little more tolerance might help - one or two comments in a related thread about shared tables were incredibly crass and insensitive!

 

 

We typically don't don masks on trips unless we HAVE to be out during a bad cold and flu season or if we appear to be inundated by unhealthy individuals, despite my son's issues. We believe in living life to the fullest, while being safe and cautious when possible and appropriate. (flu shots are imminent for the whole family!). He is here, at nearly 21 years of age when he was given a less than 10% chance to be born and our upcoming cruise is part of our bucket list. As is an African Safari in a few years... all going well! Just thought I would share the info about masks for those who wear them, because some people aren't aware how quickly they lose the protective quality.

[comiso13]

That's me, too. Side effect from my meds - dry cough. Plus, any change in environment (air conditioning to going outside, or vice versa) causes a cough.,

 

Most times it's just a couple of coughs. Sometimes I cough for quite a bit.

 

Believe me, I hate it, also. But I can't help it.

 

I too have a dry cough due to medications that dry out my throat. I cover my mouth and wash my hands often to prevent any germs I have from affecting anyone else. Not that I am sick, in fact I haven't had a cold or flu in a lot of years (knock on wood). I agree with you, sometimes you can't help it. So not everyone who coughs is sick. And who is to say you got sick from a coughing person, you also touched surfaces a person just did, such as a door handle.

[A&Jfamily]

I think this comes down to knowing your personal situation. As we can see from the number of posts of individuals who cough or sneeze for reasons unrelated to illness, it is impossible to determine with certainty who is actually ill.

 

The key is to know your body. Eat healthy and get rest. If you are someone who gets sick easily, then of course wear a mask - you cannot rely on others to protect you.

 

But the germaphobia for average people needs to stop! This obsession with germs and all the wipes and sprays 24/7 is only doing you and your family a disservice - you are lowering your natural self defenses. Just like our cultural obsession with antibiotics for everything - we are destroying its effectiveness! Wash your hands and don't touch your face. DH was a medic for 5 years and simple hand washing kept him healthy, just as it does doctors and nurses.

 

 

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[compozer]

I think this comes down to knowing your personal situation. As we can see from the number of posts of individuals who cough or sneeze for reasons unrelated to illness, it is impossible to determine with certainty who is actually ill.

 

The key is to know your body. Eat healthy and get rest. If you are someone who gets sick easily, then of course wear a mask - you cannot rely on others to protect you.

 

But the germaphobia for average people needs to stop! This obsession with germs and all the wipes and sprays 24/7 is only doing you and your family a disservice - you are lowering your natural self defenses. Just like our cultural obsession with antibiotics for everything - we are destroying its effectiveness! Wash your hands and don't touch your face. DH was a medic for 5 years and simple hand washing kept him healthy, just as it does doctors and nurses.

 

 

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When four people are sitting right behind a man that coughs for three hours and then all four get sick at the same time, I would say they caught it from him.

[PurpleHays]

 

hospital staff are supposed to change them every 20 minutes!

 

No, we're not. I've been in the operating room for nearly 30 years. If we had to change masks every 20 minutes, we'd never get anything done. And floor/unit/ER nurses don't change theirs in the middle of a procedure either. Can you imagine? "sorry we're in the middle of this crashing trauma patient, but it's been 20 minutes and I am required to change my mask."

 

I have a chronic noncontagious/noninfectious lung condition. I cough all the time. So does my FIL with severe COPD. Just because you cough doesn't mean you're contagious.

[cruisequeen4ever]

OP, I wish I had the courage to don a face mask while traveling. Nothing makes me cringe more than hearing a cough right behind me on a tour bus or airplane! You feel so helpless. I became sick after someone was coughing right behind me (basically on me) from Livorno to La Spezia. The lady was part of an Australian group and said they were beyond exhausted touring for 3 weeks; they were not given the option of a shorter cruise. I agree that elevators seem to be a high risk space with so many crowded in, breathing, coughing, and sneezing. It doesn't help that the crew will rub their nose and then serve food. Ok, I'll stop; I could go on forever. I just really hope cruise lines figure out some better solutions to preventing these outbreaks because I realllllllllly ❤️ cruising!

 

 

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[richsea]

I think this comes down to knowing your personal situation. As we can see from the number of posts of individuals who cough or sneeze for reasons unrelated to illness, it is impossible to determine with certainty who is actually ill.

 

The key is to know your body. Eat healthy and get rest. If you are someone who gets sick easily, then of course wear a mask - you cannot rely on others to protect you.

 

But the germaphobia for average people needs to stop! This obsession with germs and all the wipes and sprays 24/7 is only doing you and your family a disservice - you are lowering your natural self defenses. Just like our cultural obsession with antibiotics for everything - we are destroying its effectiveness! Wash your hands and don't touch your face. DH was a medic for 5 years and simple hand washing kept him healthy, just as it does doctors and nurses.

 

 

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Great points. Sometimes I think those that have to bring sanitary wipes to wipe down entire rooms, & wanting to wear masks, or have people supply a notorized letter that they are not contagious, should just stay home in their bubble, like the bubble boy.

[GUT2407]

No, we're not. I've been in the operating room for nearly 30 years. If we had to change masks every 20 minutes, we'd never get anything done. And floor/unit/ER nurses don't change theirs in the middle of a procedure either. Can you imagine? "sorry we're in the middle of this crashing trauma patient, but it's been 20 minutes and I am required to change my mask."

 

I have a chronic noncontagious/noninfectious lung condition. I cough all the time. So does my FIL with severe COPD. Just because you cough doesn't mean you're contagious.

 

 

Seems hard for many to grasp. I have a cough that sounds like I'm going to die, but totally non infectious and non contagious. Sure I still cover my mouth, still turn my head but the reaction from some people you'd think you were going to kill them.

[Go-Bucks!]

I have traveled with a pack of surgical masks for years. Never used them. I think it is time to start. Not sure if it would prevent getting sick but I am so tired of being in a van or bus with people hacking.

 

I suggest you hand one of your masks to a coughing person and say, loudly enough for others around you to hear, "please put this on while you're in the bus so that the rest of do not get sick too." Then hand it to them. Hopefully they'll feel too embarrassed to not put it on.

 

When I'm on a ship, I try not to touch ANYTHING in public areas. Especially stair rails, rails and buttons in elevators (push the button with your knuckle), countertops, etc. And carry sanitizer around to use periodically. I'm a nurse in a hospital so I'm keenly aware of avoiding germs or I'd be sick all the time.

Edited September 10, 2017 by Go-Bucks!

[rdsqrl]

Why should someone be embarrassed just because they're coughing?

[Go-Bucks!]

Can't STAND breathing hot air thru a mask!!!

 

But if you're sick or have a cough, then the alternative to a hot mask is to stay in your room. Unfortunately, Stewart might get sick.