Symptoms after Royal Princess Feb 29-Mar 7 cruise

[Hellobello0]

I tested positive for antibodies so I feel like it definitely went under the radar on the Royal Princess. I still can’t wait to get back to cruising! 

[osofish2]

We were on the Valentine's week cruise, and were actually commenting that people were not coughing at all.  I always get sick with the "kennel cough" but not this time.  We had no knowledge of the virus, and what was to come.  I've been home since March 15, and am going stir crazy.  Hope 2021 is better for everyone.

[hobbyfarmer2]

Do not really see what Princess should do at this point.  You did not get COVID tested on debarking so it may have been anything.  Glad you feel better, though.

[brisalta]

On 6/25/2020 at 4:52 PM, Hellobello0 said:

I tested positive for antibodies so I feel like it definitely went under the radar on the Royal Princess. I still can’t wait to get back to cruising! 

 

It is good that you are feeling better. I hope your medical doctor is tracking your health after this episode.

I hope that who ever ordered the test recorded your report of the symptoms you had and added those to the research knowledge base that is being developed by infectious disease researchers.

 

I have discovered the chair of medicine at UCSF has an interest in Covid-19 and presents some interesting information at https://twitter.com/Bob_Wachter  I wonder what he would make of your symptoms?

 

As a point of information medical for Princess falls under the Holland America Group and communication regarding medical issues is via email guestmedical@hagroup.com

 

[pcur]

On 4/18/2020 at 12:21 AM, Hellobello0 said:

Hello! I am a long time lurker that’s just made a profile because I am searching for info. First off, I want to give a disclaimer that I am not blaming princess for any illnesses whatsoever. People get sick. That’s a part of life. 
 

We went on the cruise sailing from San Pedro 2/29-3/7 right before they stopped all cruises. There were people coughing EVERYWHERE. It is flu season so it honestly could have been the flu. 
 

I got sick starting with night sweats on the cruise. I thought I had been drinking too much so didn’t think much of it. On sat night after getting home, my throat started hurting. Sunday I was exhausted, had a fever of 100.8 (finally checked it, I could have had a fever on the cruise but I was so busy with my 3 kids that I just took 1-2 Advil and kept moving). My symptoms progressed to a bad headache, body aches, sinus pressure, congestion, complete loss of smell, mild loss of taste, slight cough, neck pain, sharp stabbing kidney pain, and exhaustion. I called my Kaiser Dr thinking I had a sinus infection, but it was so dry so my dr just prescribed the z pack but said not to take it unless I had green boogers, which never happened. Eventually I started feeling better, but my exhaustion took almost a month to go away. Also, since I got sick my temperature has stayed elevated to 99.3-99.8 ish. It’s strange.

 I got worried thinking there was NO way I was still run down from my “flu/cold” and worried I needed to be checked out by the dr for something seriously wrong with me, but I finally feel better now. Also, My mom, dad, brother, husband, aunt, cousins, all came down with varying symptoms too. 
 

I emailed Princess asking them if others reported any flu symptoms after getting off the boat and telling them about my symptoms but that I couldn’t get tested because my Dr said I didn’t travel to China or Italy. They still haven’t emailed back. 
 

I was just wondering if anyone else came down with anything or if they know more that hasn’t been brought out. I def could have had the flu, but my daughter had the Flu B in early February and I got nothing... so I was very surprised that We all got sick on this cruise. I know there are a ton of different strains of the flu so who knows. 
 

I read a tweet on Twitter a few weeks ago that I unfortunately didn’t screenshot and I so wish I did so I could find it again... it said that someone came home from a Royal Princess Cruise and had super mild symptoms and they spread it to others who tested + for Covid but I mean do they really know?! It’s been community spread for a while. My group of friends ended up all getting sick (4 girls)... 3 had super mild symptoms and 1 was almost bad enough to go to the hospital but they wouldn’t test her unless she was admitted. It was insane. She’s okay now and getting antibody tested next week, so I might have more answers. I also will be getting antibody tested. 
 

thank you for reading and I truly hope we just had the flu and didn’t potentially pass it to lots of other vulnerable people! 
 

B

 

I think you had COVID19, especially if these symptoms were unusual for you to have.

 

I was cruising 1/25 to 2/15 out of New Orleans over Chinese New Year's and beyond.  I got a cold, and on the 8th day started to develop what turned out to be pneumonia.  I went to the doctor on 2/18, and she said I was so wheezy she couldn't tell where the congestion was coming from.  Gave me an antibiotic and started me on an albuterol inhaler with a a Z-stat chamber to push the med deep in my lungs.  I was very sick, and it took until April before I felt normal again.  

 

I've found out since that due to some medications and supplements I have taken for years, I probably was one of the lucky older people if I did have COVID19:  high vitamin D levels, take a statin med, take a blood thinner med, have had other serious A and B strain viruses, and take a very low dose diabetes med.  

 

I'll only know when I get an antibody test, but I can tell you I have only been this sick and took this long to recuperate one other time in my life, and that's with the Hong Kong flu in 1968.

 

Be careful, do good things to boost your immune system, and stay away from crowds unless you wear a mask.  If you had COVID19, you can get it again.  Good luck.

[WAMarathoner]

If you were showing symptoms while still on the cruise, you likely brought whatever it was onboard with you.  Too soon for incubation.  Glad you're feeling better.

[Roberto256]

On 6/25/2020 at 7:52 PM, Hellobello0 said:

I tested positive for antibodies so I feel like it definitely went under the radar on the Royal Princess. I still can’t wait to get back to cruising! 

 

I'm sorry about your illness.   Does testing positive for antibodies make you feel confident about cruising?

 

I don't think anyone really knows yet, but there must be some level of antibodies that would be equivalent

to receiving a vaccine...

 

[caribill]

16 hours ago, Roberto256 said:

 

I'm sorry about your illness.   Does testing positive for antibodies make you feel confident about cruising?

 

I don't think anyone really knows yet, but there must be some level of antibodies that would be equivalent

to receiving a vaccine...

 

 

Even with a vaccine, it will take time to determine how effective a vaccine is. This could be months or years.

[capriccio]

On 7/5/2020 at 9:10 AM, Roberto256 said:

 

I'm sorry about your illness.   Does testing positive for antibodies make you feel confident about cruising?

 

I don't think anyone really knows yet, but there must be some level of antibodies that would be equivalent

to receiving a vaccine...

 

 

Within the past 2 weeks there have been a number of articles saying that initial indications are that many covid patients don't develop the antibodies and in the cases of those that do, the antibodies do not last long.

 

https://fox17.com/news/local/largest-antibody-study-to-date-adds-to-evidence-herd-immunity-to-covid-19-is-unachievable

 

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/covid-19-antibodies-fade-months-study/story?id=71406787

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/18/coronavirus-antibodies-may-last-only-2-to-3-months-after-infection-study-suggests.html

[Hellobello0]

On 7/4/2020 at 6:26 PM, WAMarathoner said:

If you were showing symptoms while still on the cruise, you likely brought whatever it was onboard with you.  Too soon for incubation.  Glad you're feeling better.

The average onset of symptoms is 5 days. They say 97% of people will show symptoms by day 11. My friends who just had it 2 weeks ago got it 2 days after exposure. Super mild cold symptoms for them. 

[Hellobello0]

On 7/5/2020 at 6:10 AM, Roberto256 said:

 

I'm sorry about your illness.   Does testing positive for antibodies make you feel confident about cruising?

 

I don't think anyone really knows yet, but there must be some level of antibodies that would be equivalent

to receiving a vaccine...

 

Honestly I don’t think the antibodies really mean anything. A lot of people don’t show up with measurable antibodies but they are finding that the helper T cells are making a huge difference in preventing re infection or serious symptoms. 
 

I have a few friends that just got sick and they shared a drink with my other friend that I got sick back in March. 2 days later her sister and cousin both tested + for Covid. My friend got NOTHING. Her dr said since she has no antibodies it is her helper T cells. That’s why when my kids get the flu, common cold, etc, I rarely get sick. My body knows what to do. 
 

I think covid is weakening as it spreads. I now know 10+ confirmed people that have had it with extremely mild or flu like symptoms. I’m thankful that everyone has been okay as I know others have not been as fortunate. 
 

as far as cruising again, I would go tomorrow if they would let me lol. We are going to Hawaii next month and have to do the covid swab to go. Such a strange time in the world. 

[Hellobello0]

On 7/5/2020 at 10:46 PM, caribill said:

 

Even with a vaccine, it will take time to determine how effective a vaccine is. This could be months or years.

Yeah and a lot of people will definitely refuse the vaccine 

[Hellobello0]

12 hours ago, capriccio said:

 

Within the past 2 weeks there have been a number of articles saying that initial indications are that many covid patients don't develop the antibodies and in the cases of those that do, the antibodies do not last long.

 

https://fox17.com/news/local/largest-antibody-study-to-date-adds-to-evidence-herd-immunity-to-covid-19-is-unachievable

 

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/covid-19-antibodies-fade-months-study/story?id=71406787

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/18/coronavirus-antibodies-may-last-only-2-to-3-months-after-infection-study-suggests.html

This... but they have helper T cells that come in. I don’t think antibodies mean anything to be honest. Some people don’t get them and don’t get reinfected. They have never studied a coronavirus the way they are studying this one though. I would be curious for them to study the flu like this as well. I’m actually curious if I have flu antibodies. I must... in early February my girls got flu b and I got nothing 🤷🏻‍♀️

 

here’s a study on the T cells 
 

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.29.174888v1