No More Pre-Cruise Testing for Vaccinated guests on voyages less than 6 nights starting August 8th!

[Charles4515]

54 minutes ago, BND said:

More than likely it dates back two years and has to do with fear of potentially exposing others to the virus.  

I think there is a lot of virtue signaling involved. I have relatives who get angry about even seeing people wearing masks. They definitely would walk out of the blood collection center.  When I go somewhere that wants me to wear a mask I go with the flow and wear one. I don’t want to wear them but it’s no big deal. 

[Ret MP]

3 hours ago, mpdog42 said:

I guess that's how you define "Vital Public Service".Mine is Police, Fire, Ems, medical and being in the Military!!!

+ he didn't say he didn't donate blood.  He said he'd walk out!  He may have donated where the didn't require a mask!  Oh, and he said that his location doesn't require a mask, so he'd donate there.  Imagine that!

[rudeney]

3 hours ago, Ret MP said:

+ he didn't say he didn't donate blood.  He said he'd walk out!  He may have donated where the didn't require a mask!  Oh, and he said that his location doesn't require a mask, so he'd donate there.  Imagine that!

 

My wife and I just got back home from donating at a local Red Cross blood drive.  No one was masked - not us, not the staff.  

[BND]

8 hours ago, rudeney said:

 

I guess there are those odd people like me who can't handle the flu vaccine for whatever reason.  Ironically, I have an extremely good immune system as I rarely get sick.  In terms of vaccines and the immune system, I could go into that, but I am sure this thread would then get shutdown.  And BTW, I am NOT against vaccines at all.

Tell my almost 85 year old parents who get it every year and have for at least 25 years.  Some people just react to vaccines, or more likely an inert ingredient.  Some people can't take some flu vaccines due to egg allergies.  

 

I also rarely get sick.  I was that kid in school who rarely missed a day, yet my younger sisters caught everything and still do.  

[rudeney]

5 hours ago, BND said:

Tell my almost 85 year old parents who get it every year and have for at least 25 years.  Some people just react to vaccines, or more likely an inert ingredient.  Some people can't take some flu vaccines due to egg allergies.  

 

I also rarely get sick.  I was that kid in school who rarely missed a day, yet my younger sisters caught everything and still do.  

 

I have no issues with eggs, but a big issue with chicken.  That flu shot reaction was the worst thing I've ever endured.  I was dehydrated to the point of organ failure had I not made it to the hospital.  

[SargassoPirate]

21 hours ago, BND said:

More than likely it dates back two years and has to do with fear of potentially exposing others to the virus.  

As does a lot of the continuing angst about covid.  I am noticing some of the plexiglass sheets are starting to come down and the grocery store checkers have stopped wiping down the credit card transaction screen between customers.  

 

I still see a lot of plastic gloves in use and those creep me out in food service environments.  Sit and watch how many surfaces those gloves touch - cross contamination - and the only thing those gloves do is keep the wearer's hands clean.  When I ask the restaurant managers why their employees are wearing gloves, the often reply is "for sanitation".  

 

Some of this covid protection theater is going to take a long time to fall by the wayside.

[smokeybandit]

26 minutes ago, SargassoPirate said:

  I am noticing some of the plexiglass sheets are starting to come down

Studies found that these shields had no impact and some found it actually made things worse

Edited August 2, 2022 by smokeybandit

[hotsauce126]

22 hours ago, BND said:

More than likely it dates back two years and has to do with fear of potentially exposing others to the virus.  

If you’re getting transfused you have bigger problems than covid

[BND]

5 minutes ago, hotsauce126 said:

If you’re getting transfused you have bigger problems than covid

Not necessarily, but I was referring to exposing others who are giving blood as well as the medical staff.  You do know there are people receiving blood and blood products for non-emergency/non-traumatic reasons, right?

Edited August 2, 2022 by BND

[BND]

What I find interesting is out of a group of 23 we were with on EN last week, the only ones that are sick and have tested positive are the ones that flew to the cruise.  All of us that drove aren't sick.  Out of 23 people, 4 have it, one also has the flu. I haven't heard from all of them, but one told me the status a couple of days ago as it's her extended family.  DH and I are fine.  My youngest son (36 yrs old) is still recovering from catching it more than likely at a concert he and his wife went to last week.  

Edited August 2, 2022 by BND

[SargassoPirate]

34 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Studies found that these shields had no impact and some found it actually made things worse

Locally our positivity rate is around 15%, but there is nobody in the ICU for covid and hasn't been for weeks and weeks - with the exception of a "peak" of two cases during the omicron surge.  Covid is everywhere and is here to stay.  Local, state, and national authorities are slowly coming to that realization.  Anyone waiting for zero cases is going to have a long wait.

[BND]

5 minutes ago, SargassoPirate said:

Locally our positivity rate is around 15%, but there is nobody in the ICU for covid and hasn't been for weeks and weeks - with the exception of a "peak" of two cases during the omicron surge.  Covid is everywhere and is here to stay.  Local, state, and national authorities are slowly coming to that realization.  Anyone waiting for zero cases is going to have a long wait.

Our positivity rate is around 18%.  Reality is, we don't know what the real infection rate is.  People with mild symptoms who test at home usually don't bother going to get tested at a site unless they need it for work or are at risk and need/want treatment.  Those that test negative at home don't get reported either.  My son can test himself at home and go to work as soon as he's symptom free and tests neg on a home test.  So, his case (and both my other son and DIL back in May) was never reported.  It is everywhere and there will probably never be zero cases.  Cases are starting to drop again.  

[ZoeyVictoria]

15 hours ago, BND said:

 

I also rarely get sick.  I was that kid in school who rarely missed a day, yet my younger sisters caught everything and still do.  

Same here, even in our late sixties.  But my sister is unvaccinated, had Omicron and passed out three times, spent the evening in the ER, was sick at home (over Christmas) for two full weeks, and still insists her symptoms were “mild”.   

[rudeney]

1 hour ago, BND said:

Our positivity rate is around 18%.  Reality is, we don't know what the real infection rate is.  People with mild symptoms who test at home usually don't bother going to get tested at a site unless they need it for work or are at risk and need/want treatment.  Those that test negative at home don't get reported either.  My son can test himself at home and go to work as soon as he's symptom free and tests neg on a home test.  So, his case (and both my other son and DIL back in May) was never reported.  It is everywhere and there will probably never be zero cases.  Cases are starting to drop again.  

 

 

I saw a doc being interviewed on a local news segment last week and he said something similar.  His theory is that when everyone thought COVID was going to kill us all, people would rush out for a test with the slightest symptoms, so the positivity rate was more representative of the population.  Now, only the sickest people are bothering to be tested, many not until they go to a doc for treatment.  That's his theory of why the "positivity rate" is going up but the actual population infection rate is very low.

[Keksie]

5 minutes ago, rudeney said:

 

 

I saw a doc being interviewed on a local news segment last week and he said something similar.  His theory is that when everyone thought COVID was going to kill us all, people would rush out for a test with the slightest symptoms, so the positivity rate was more representative of the population.  Now, only the sickest people are bothering to be tested, many not until they go to a doc for treatment.  That's his theory of why the "positivity rate" is going up but the actual population infection rate is very low.

I always said back when positivity rates were tied to lockdowns in some states (not mine) that people who were positive they didn't have covid all go get tests so that the positivity rates would go down if they wanted the lockdowns to go away.

[rudeney]

1 minute ago, Keksie said:

I always said back when positivity rates were tied to lockdowns in some states (not mine) that people who were positive they didn't have covid all go get tests so that the positivity rates would go down if they wanted the lockdowns to go away.

 

I think most statisticians will tell you that the "test positivity rate" is a completely invalid metric due to its unscientific sampling methods (i.e. relying on individual health perceptions as to who chooses to test).  It does make for good "breaking news" headlines, though.

[moposh]

On 7/28/2022 at 9:31 AM, Midway7934 said:

My thoughts exactly, shof515. Bermuda 5 night cruises out of Cape Liberty go through September. You can't get off the ship in Bermuda unless you pay your $40 and have a covid test. RC Was doing the checking before boarding. Now what?

You have to pay the $40 even if you don't get off the ship in Bermuda.  You have to have the TA to get on any ships going to Bermuda.  If Bermuda still requires testing, then cruisers will have to get tested.  

[SargassoPirate]

4 minutes ago, rudeney said:

 

I think most statisticians will tell you that the "test positivity rate" is a completely invalid metric due to its unscientific sampling methods (i.e. relying on individual health perceptions as to who chooses to test).  It does make for good "breaking news" headlines, though.

Do you mean the media will sensationalize something?  Oh, my.  I'm shocked.

[Ret MP]

1 hour ago, BND said:

What I find interesting is out of a group of 23 we were with on EN last week, the only ones that are sick and have tested positive are the ones that flew to the cruise.  All of us that drove aren't sick.  Out of 23 people, 4 have it, one also has the flu. I haven't heard from all of them, but one told me the status a couple of days ago as it's her extended family.  DH and I are fine.  My youngest son (36 yrs old) is still recovering from catching it more than likely at a concert he and his wife went to last week.  

Anecdotal at best!  Too many, ifs, ands, or buts to suggest that the ones that flew got sick because of flying.  

[BND]

3 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

Anecdotal at best!  Too many, ifs, ands, or buts to suggest that the ones that flew got sick because of flying.  

Did I say they caught it because they flew?  No.  I said it was interesting.

[smokeybandit]

10 minutes ago, rudeney said:

 

I think most statisticians will tell you that the "test positivity rate" is a completely invalid metric due to its unscientific sampling methods (i.e. relying on individual health perceptions as to who chooses to test).  It does make for good "breaking news" headlines, though.

Positivity rate has been useless for over a year,  both due to the mass amounts of home testing and the decreasing severity of the disease

[Ret MP]

7 minutes ago, BND said:

Did I say they caught it because they flew?  No.  I said it was interesting.

Did I say that you said your experience was a suggestion?  Although, THAT is how I took it!  NO!  I'm saying to anyone reading it that it was too anecdotal.  I did quote you as a reference for my post.  But, in my post I never say, "You", "Your", or any reference to you personally.  When/if I want to single YOU out, believe me, I will.  

[BND]

39 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

Did I say that you said your experience was a suggestion?  Although, THAT is how I took it!  NO!  I'm saying to anyone reading it that it was too anecdotal.  I did quote you as a reference for my post.  But, in my post I never say, "You", "Your", or any reference to you personally.  When/if I want to single YOU out, believe me, I will.  

Wow, relax.  You said "Too many, ifs, ands, or buts to suggest that the ones that flew got sick because of flying. ".  I just replied that I never said that, which I didn't.  Anecdotal would be me saying it was why they caught it, which again, I never did.  

Edited August 2, 2022 by BND

[ldubs]

58 minutes ago, BND said:

Did I say they caught it because they flew?  No.  I said it was interesting.

 

Well, I thought it was an interesting observation.  When we caught covid while traveling (non cruise) we are pretty sure it was at an airport.  We think that because of the timing and knowing where our public exposure happened.   Of course our angry friend will say "not necessarily", and I suppose he would be right.  

[rudeney]

58 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Positivity rate has been useless for over a year,  both due to the mass amounts of home testing and the decreasing severity of the disease

 

Statistically, the only way positivity rates could be used for decision-making is if people were tested at random, or if everyone were tested.  Any conclusions drawn from data collected using a self-identified subset of the population (i.e. people who are sick and decide they need to be tested) is invalid when applied entire population.  It would be like visiting the local ER and finding that 50% of the people in the waiting room are sick or injured and deciding to shut the city down because of it.