Corona Virus.. anyone worried??

[SherriZ366]

2 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Given that this started in China in December and didn’t peak until end of February and is still not contained and that was with extreme measures and other countries just starting to show huge increases now I have an extremely hard time seeing how this will be over in a month let alone 3 months from now. 

However, still hoping it abates because of the warm weather like flu does.  Of course, you're going to tell me it is rampant in Africa.  

[Ourusualbeach]

1 minute ago, SherriZ366 said:

However, still hoping it abates because of the warm weather like flu does.  Of course, you're going to tell me it is rampant in Africa.  

Nope just that there is a difference if opinions on how effective and to what extent the warmer weather will slow the spread of this virus. 

 

Just being realistic. 

[Grandma Petania]

This past November I celebrated my 80th birthday.  Prior to that, my son and his husband told me they wanted to celebrate this momentous birthday by taking me and my daughter on a Caribbean cruise.  For five months we have been plotting and planning to sail on Symphony on March 21st.

 

The guys are currently living with the reality of the quarantined ship in their area off the coast of California.  My daughter and I will be flying from Virginia.  Having read about RCCL's refund offers, we've all still decided to meet up in Miami on the 20th.  I am probably more concerned about being on the plane than on the ship.

 

 I'll go ahead and pack, but won't relax until everything goes well on the Symphony for the two cruises ahead of ours.  Then I will board, and proceed to be as safe as possible while enjoying this special cruise with my daughter, son and son-in-law.

 

[Coralc]

WOW on Carnival. 

[flyguyjake]

Panorama test came back negative so that's great news for those held up onboard. Passengers can disembark.

[flyguyjake]

 

[Coralc]

Isn't it still summer in Australia? Some of those folks are wearing a lot of clothes. When we were there in March, it was still really warm. 

[banzaii]

2 minutes ago, Coralc said:

Isn't it still summer in Australia? Some of those folks are wearing a lot of clothes. When we were there in March, it was still really warm. 

24°C is a bit chilly today.  Even for March which is our Autumn (fall)

[L454S]

Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Abdu Sharkawy................

I'm a doctor and an Infectious Diseases Specialist. I've been at this for more than 20 years seeing sick patients on a daily basis. I have worked in inner city hospitals and in the poorest slums of Africa. HIV-AIDS, Hepatitis,TB, SARS, Measles, Shingles, Whooping cough, Diphtheria...there is little I haven't been exposed to in my profession. And with notable exception of SARS, very little has left me feeling vulnerable, overwhelmed or downright scared.

I am not scared of Covid-19. I am concerned about the implications of a novel infectious agent that has spread the world over and continues to find new footholds in different soil. I am rightly concerned for the welfare of those who are elderly, in frail health or disenfranchised who stand to suffer mostly, and disproportionately, at the hands of this new scourge. But I am not scared of Covid-19.

What I am scared about is the loss of reason and wave of fear that has induced the masses of society into a spellbinding spiral of panic, stockpiling obscene quantities of anything that could fill a bomb shelter adequately in a post-apocalyptic world. I am scared of the N95 masks that are stolen from hospitals and urgent care clinics where they are actually needed for front line healthcare providers and instead are being donned in airports, malls, and coffee lounges, perpetuating even more fear and suspicion of others. I am scared that our hospitals will be overwhelmed with anyone who thinks they " probably don't have it but may as well get checked out no matter what because you just never know..." and those with heart failure, emphysema, pneumonia and strokes will pay the price for overfilled ER waiting rooms with only so many doctors and nurses to assess.

I am scared that travel restrictions will become so far reaching that weddings will be canceled, graduations missed and family reunions will not materialize. And well, even that big party called the Olympic Games...that could be kyboshed too. Can you evenimagine?

I'm scared those same epidemic fears will limit trade, harm partnerships in multiple sectors, business and otherwise and ultimately culminate in a global recession.

But mostly, I'm scared about what message we are telling our kids when faced with a threat. Instead of reason, rationality, openmindedness and altruism, we are telling them to panic, be fearful, suspicious, reactionary and self-interested.

Covid-19 is nowhere near over. It will be coming to a city, a hospital, a friend, even a family member near you at some point. Expect it. Stop waiting to be surprised further. The fact is the virus itself will not likely do much harm when it arrives. But our own behaviors and "fight for yourself above all else" attitude could prove disastrous.

I implore you all. Temper fear with reason, panic with patience and uncertainty with education. We have an opportunity to learn a great deal about health hygiene and limiting the spread of innumerable transmissible diseases in our society. Let's meet this challenge together in the best spirit of compassion for others, patience, and above all, an unfailing effort to seek truth, facts and knowledge as opposed to conjecture, speculation and catastrophizing.

Facts not fear. Clean hands. Open hearts. Our children will thank us for it. 

[banzaii]

This!

 

The doomsday prepping, siege mentality has to stop!

Edited March 8, 2020 by banzaii

[banzaii]

3 hours ago, flyguyjake said:

 

BTW people, this delay was because of Norovirus not Covid-19, although also is consistent with the new disinfecting procedure being adopted.

Edited March 8, 2020 by banzaii

[crewsweeper]

9 hours ago, Sail n Snow said:

This is another data collection site and footnotes it references. World o Meters Covid-19

 

As for where you are more likely to catch it, I’d say around young adults and children. The data hasn’t been peer reviewed completely yet but younger people so far are less likely to get severe cases and present with minimal symptoms. As opposed to the flu where it attacks the very young and old.  
 

https://www.wired.com/story/kids-can-get-covid-19-they-just-dont-get-that-sick/

 

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/are-children-actually-as-likely-to-get-covid-19-as-adults

 

Take a look at the contact tracing chart for Singapore.  They’ve done an amazing job at contact tracing and testing people. Over 3500 people have self quarantined and they’ve been fighting this since almost the beginning.   They have 130 cases, 27 have been imported and if you excluded those the avg age of 103 infected people is 50. 

https://infographics.channelnewsasia.com/covid-19/coronavirus-singapore-clusters.html??cid=h3_referral_inarticlelinks_24082018_cna

So imho you need to worry more about those that are sick but with a mild case and don’t realize they have it and unfortunately spread it to others. 

 

 

 

 

And compare the number of cases in Singapore where it's 85 and humid vs So Korea where it's below 40 and drier.

[SSBrickNJ]

Many people (on the thus far 7 pages of responses) have pointed out that even in the unlikely event you get CV, in most cases you don't die...you recover just fine.

Well that's of course really good.......

Yet the thing I wonder re. whether to keep my cruise reservation or not is related to the quarantine possibility.

Some people have been on a cruise and not been able to dock on time. In those rare instances, there were multiple CV cases on those ships. Yet those examples are what....less than 1% of all sailings?

Even so I would like to avoid being on quarantine for 2 weeks in a Royal C stateroom/cabin!  2 weeks using that tiny bathroom? hmm. IDK

......or if CV is suspected yet not confirmed hypothetically we'd be asked to get off the boat and then have to be bused to a quarantine location and wait there for 2 weeks.

That's not likely but it IS possible.

This is what I'm weighing right now.

Thoughts on this anyone?

Edited March 8, 2020 by SSBrickNJ

[Laurba99]

On 3/2/2020 at 10:40 AM, Mapleleafforever said:

My only concern is how much Royal will be jacking up cruise prices and gratuities to make up for the lost revenue due to cancellations. 

Interesting that you say that. We didn’t decide yet what to do but I plugged in same ship sim itinerary June 2021. my normal ocean view balcony was 4600 for three. this june 2021 cruise 7400! i kept rechecking could not believe it.

[RWMike]

18 minutes ago, Laurba99 said:

Interesting that you say that. We didn’t decide yet what to do but I plugged in same ship sim itinerary June 2021. my normal ocean view balcony was 4600 for three. this june 2021 cruise 7400! i kept rechecking could not believe it.

Exactly, your FCC will be a deposit on your 2021 cruise.

Prices are double what is normal.

[Laurba99]

9 minutes ago, RWMike said:

Exactly, your FCC will be a deposit on your 2021 cruise.

Prices are double what is normal.

I then checked spring 2021 and it was cheaper than our current (although diff ship still same class but Allure which will be refurbished vs Symphony) but will keep watching to see what happens. I did grab it as a refundable deposit for now and TA said if I don’t go I can add the FCC to that booking and then I’ll have a good thousand to use on cruise after that but heard u have six months to use that remainder.

Edited March 8, 2020 by Laurba99

[Science52]

4 hours ago, L454S said:

Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Abdu Sharkawy................

I'm a doctor and an Infectious Diseases Specialist. I've been at this for more than 20 years seeing sick patients on a daily basis. I have worked in inner city hospitals and in the poorest slums of Africa. HIV-AIDS, Hepatitis,TB, SARS, Measles, Shingles, Whooping cough, Diphtheria...there is little I haven't been exposed to in my profession. And with notable exception of SARS, very little has left me feeling vulnerable, overwhelmed or downright scared.

I am not scared of Covid-19. I am concerned about the implications of a novel infectious agent that has spread the world over and continues to find new footholds in different soil. I am rightly concerned for the welfare of those who are elderly, in frail health or disenfranchised who stand to suffer mostly, and disproportionately, at the hands of this new scourge. But I am not scared of Covid-19.

What I am scared about is the loss of reason and wave of fear that has induced the masses of society into a spellbinding spiral of panic, stockpiling obscene quantities of anything that could fill a bomb shelter adequately in a post-apocalyptic world. I am scared of the N95 masks that are stolen from hospitals and urgent care clinics where they are actually needed for front line healthcare providers and instead are being donned in airports, malls, and coffee lounges, perpetuating even more fear and suspicion of others. I am scared that our hospitals will be overwhelmed with anyone who thinks they " probably don't have it but may as well get checked out no matter what because you just never know..." and those with heart failure, emphysema, pneumonia and strokes will pay the price for overfilled ER waiting rooms with only so many doctors and nurses to assess.

I am scared that travel restrictions will become so far reaching that weddings will be canceled, graduations missed and family reunions will not materialize. And well, even that big party called the Olympic Games...that could be kyboshed too. Can you evenimagine?

I'm scared those same epidemic fears will limit trade, harm partnerships in multiple sectors, business and otherwise and ultimately culminate in a global recession.

But mostly, I'm scared about what message we are telling our kids when faced with a threat. Instead of reason, rationality, openmindedness and altruism, we are telling them to panic, be fearful, suspicious, reactionary and self-interested.

Covid-19 is nowhere near over. It will be coming to a city, a hospital, a friend, even a family member near you at some point. Expect it. Stop waiting to be surprised further. The fact is the virus itself will not likely do much harm when it arrives. But our own behaviors and "fight for yourself above all else" attitude could prove disastrous.

I implore you all. Temper fear with reason, panic with patience and uncertainty with education. We have an opportunity to learn a great deal about health hygiene and limiting the spread of innumerable transmissible diseases in our society. Let's meet this challenge together in the best spirit of compassion for others, patience, and above all, an unfailing effort to seek truth, facts and knowledge as opposed to conjecture, speculation and catastrophizing.

Facts not fear. Clean hands. Open hearts. Our children will thank us for it. 

 

[nbsjcruiser]

9 hours ago, Grandma Petania said:

This past November I celebrated my 80th birthday.  Prior to that, my son and his husband told me they wanted to celebrate this momentous birthday by taking me and my daughter on a Caribbean cruise.  For five months we have been plotting and planning to sail on Symphony on March 21st.

 

The guys are currently living with the reality of the quarantined ship in their area off the coast of California.  My daughter and I will be flying from Virginia.  Having read about RCCL's refund offers, we've all still decided to meet up in Miami on the 20th.  I am probably more concerned about being on the plane than on the ship.

 

 

Valid point about the plane. Our son got norovirus off a plane one year as we were heading to a cruise. Luckily we were flying in 5 days early so we had enough time to ensure he was well before boarding the ship. Now we bring sanitizer with us on planes and clean the immediate area where we're sitting - arm rests, trays and so on. I try not to use the washrooms on planes and do my best to keep my hands away from my face. 

 

We just came back from a cruise and I guess we're a bit lucky in that nobody got ill. If I had a trip planned for the next few weeks, like you, I'd still go. Not so sure I'd plan anything until the fall however.

[Science52]

I agree with everything that you say.  But I have a family that gets everything.

Me   Whooping cough in the 1960's  6 weeks quarantined in our house.

Reaction from flu meds that landed me in the hospital. I am also a teacher.

My school closed 2 days in Feb. because so many students had the flu including my two grandchildren.

Oldest son and daughter  Mastoiditis surgery at age 11 and 6  although I took them to the doctor at every ear infection.  Daughter had shingles at the age of 31 on her face going straight to her ear.  Her 6 month old son got chicken pox. My son is an OR nurse and his hospital has a case.

My husband  At his third time getting shingles which were on his face, he got viral encephalitis even though he was taking antivirals.  He has a seizure disorder which took 13 years to completely control.  He had shingles about 20 times.  Then he got prostate cancer.

One cruise he had multiple seizures (Todds) that lasted for 4 hours because of the cleaning product they were using. 

This is why my family is being cautious and we canceled  our cruise.

 

[pcur]

5 hours ago, banzaii said:

This!

 

The doomsday prepping, siege mentality has to stop!

It won't.  We legitimately got down to our "minimal" supply of toilet paper, and went to Costco last Thursday, finding they had none.  OK, checked another Costco on Friday:  none, also.  I got up and got to Costco 10 minutes after they opened, and on the way to the back of the store, felt like I was in a salmon run with carts!!😄

 

People go into survival protective mode very easily in the US.  If they even think they are being deprived, they go bonkers.  It's the bottle water thing I don't get:  water supply is not affected.  My husband always said he wondered why people stocked up on water for emergency supplies, as most US households have a 50 gallon water heater.  Just turn off the pilot light, and you have room temperature water galore to put in the fridge.

 

I was watching many people yesterday with up to SIX huge packages of toilet paper in their carts:  that's 180 roles of tp!!!!

[alfaeric]

I'm confused why it's such a problem for people to take the suggestion of having 2 weeks of supplies seriously.  It's stuff you are going to use anyway.  So if you or your family do get sick, you can stay home for two weeks and not interact with anyone else.

 

Yes, the water hoarding makes no sense at all, and is a huge waste, since few actually use bottled water.

 

But the rest of the stuff can and will be used at some point.

 

Funny that Costco is the one who is running out- visited two different grocery stores over the week, and they were fully stocked with paper.  Even the paper that is on sale.

 

I'm also confused by the contempt of people canceling trips and events.  Would you want to fly your 80yo grandparents to your wedding with the much higher risk they will suffer more with this virus?   For them, this ISN'T the normal influenza, since they likely get a vaccine for that- which increases the odds of you getting it.  Since we are travelling on our own, and will do our best to keep safe- we do plan on travelling.  

 

People don't like to die.  Let them worry.  Even if the odds are worse than crashing your car.

[firefly333]

17 minutes ago, pcur said:

 

 

I was watching many people yesterday with up to SIX huge packages of toilet paper in their carts:  that's 180 roles of tp!!!!

I bought 5 at krogers last time I stocked up. I buy for my household and my parents.

 

When I buy my sparkling water I buy a lot, also so I dont have to buy it every week.

 

There were some things mentioned I was worried enough to buy extra. My 101 year old dad I buy walmart version of depends. It's been mentioned some walmart supply lines might be interrupted. We sure dont want to run out. So I bought 2 orders, instead of 1. 

 

I normally shop ahead, though I dont have a costco membership, and dont think some things like my sparkling water odd to buy extra of when I buy. Its how I always shop, though I don't get loading up on flu medicine, if I'm not sick, and dont know I'd need. Each to his own, and while I do think supply chains are being affected and I too worry about the panic causing a recession.. we all have to do what we think best.

 

Lol I'm still cruising.

[pcur]

47 minutes ago, alfaeric said:

I'm confused why it's such a problem for people to take the suggestion of having 2 weeks of supplies seriously.  It's stuff you are going to use anyway.  So if you or your family do get sick, you can stay home for two weeks and not interact with anyone else.

 

Yes, the water hoarding makes no sense at all, and is a huge waste, since few actually use bottled water.

 

But the rest of the stuff can and will be used at some point.

 

Funny that Costco is the one who is running out- visited two different grocery stores over the week, and they were fully stocked with paper.  Even the paper that is on sale.

 

I'm also confused by the contempt of people canceling trips and events.  Would you want to fly your 80yo grandparents to your wedding with the much higher risk they will suffer more with this virus?   For them, this ISN'T the normal influenza, since they likely get a vaccine for that- which increases the odds of you getting it.  Since we are travelling on our own, and will do our best to keep safe- we do plan on travelling.  

 

People don't like to die.  Let them worry.  Even if the odds are worse than crashing your car.

Agree.

People run to Costco because they are less expensive.  

I am with you on the sparkling water:  I'm pretty much addicted to it, but it's got to be the 0-0-0 kind (no sodium, no salt, no calories) and I keep at least 24-48 cans in the pantry/fridge at all times.  Again, we buy it at Costco.

[CuseJeff44]

we've been wrestling with what to do out for our late June RCL cruise out of Rome. It's looking increasingly likely this isnt going to happen so last week shelled out a good chunk for a Nationwide cancel for any reason policy (i was actually a bit surprised I could still find out on a cruise out of Italy). Not so much for the cruise at this point, thanks to the new RCL, but for the $5K in airfare that is non refundable. 

 

That policy change actually made it easier for me to decide to actually MAKE the final payment, so thats good...

 

I would love for this to abate in Italy and use to be able to go, but considering I am mild asthma (not serious but at least elevates my risk slightly i presume) and my MIL is 67 (another slightly higher risk factor), wanted to ensure that if nothing else, I have the ability to apply that ~$4K i get back to the future rescheduled cruise whenever that may be. 

Edited March 8, 2020 by jlabramo

[Lady Hudson]

FYI — Dr. Anthony Fauci, govt official, just said on Fox News Sunday “don’t get on a cruise ship”.  I believe he was talking about the elderly and those with underlying conditions. Have to go back and listen again to be sure that’s what he said exactly.  Supposed to be leaving on a trip next Sunday.  Katherine