Posted on 12/17/2017 7:49:19 AM PST by BenLurkin
During the five-night cruise, 332 cases of the illness were reported, Owen Torres, a spokesman for Royal Caribbean told CNN in a statement. He stressed that it was a small percentage 5.99 percent of the more than 5,000 passengers and crew onboard the ship, Independence of the Seas.
Those affected by the short-lived illness were treated by our ships doctors with over-the-counter medication, Torres said, and we hope all our guests feel better quickly.
It is not known what caused the illness.
It was just terrifying, Tracy Flores, a passenger whose 15-year-old son came down with the illness, told CNN affiliate WPLG Saturday. Just the amount of people that were coming in at the same time with vomiting and diarrhea and just looked ghastly.
WPLG reported that some passengers who were disembarking Saturday in Port Everglades, Florida, believed the number of passengers who got sick was higher than what Royal Caribbean said.
We talked to plenty of people who said that they were too sick to even make it down to the (ships) medical facility, passenger Marsha Homuska told CNN affiliate WSVN.
(Excerpt) Read more at ktla.com ...
If they were prescribing an OTC anti-diarrheal...maybe a medical FReeper could weigh in because it’s my understanding that those can prolong the infection, and that dehydration is the biggest concern with noro.
Family finds hidden camera in Carnival Cruise stateroom
Yeah, I could see Europe’s rivers or Norwegian fjords but not the floating vomitoriums in the Caribbean.
+1.
L
One of my daughters was a league volleyball player. Every year there was a norovirus outbreak at one of the events. Last year it got so bad at the local schools they sprayed and wiped down entire school buildings. I think the outbreaks just don’t get much press.
In which case, at least in this instance, the carrier might have needlessly exposed itself to further liability.
You are correct, of course, re dehydration. It was dehydration that sent me to the ER in Hawaii after eating some canned abalone from New Zealand. The doctor gave me some OTC Imodium and when I suggested a more aggessive approach he assured me that would handle any variation of the problem I had.
Why would anyone need an oasis on the sea?
Why does everyone say it’s “anti-biotics”? There is no such statement in there.
“treated by our ships doctors with over-the-counter medication”
- the only reference to medication. OTC cannot be anti-biotics, anyway, and they did not specify such. Even if Rx it could’ve been Compazine or Phenergan, which help symptoms, not cure it.
An oasis of land compared to endless ocean water.
FWIW, I’m now curious about how the noro was treated on board the ship. What was prescribed, administered. Also wondering if a ship can handle rehydration therapy for large numbers of patients if necessary. How issues like sanitation and infection control are handled. This subject would make for a very interesting, in-depth article.
And in the meantime, I’ll continue my avoidance of these floating bug farms.
“And it encouraged anyone with nausea, vomiting or diarrhea to avail themselves of complimentary consultation and treatment at the ships medical facility.”
I wonder what that entailed...?
Happens all the time, get used to it..........LOL!
There are many millions of cases of norovirus in USA every year. Very contagious because it survives on surfaces in the air for hours. Very preventable with regular hand washing, simple soap and water works as well as the specialized sanitizers for noro. Often 3 days of barfing and diahrea, I guess only dangerous if you dehydrate. One sick guy boards a ship and gives it to dozens
I wouldn’t avoid cruises because of norovirus, but I would teach family to wash their hands a lot on them with soap
“OTC cannot be anti-biotics”
Yes, they can. Many countries do not regulate antibiotics. Mexico, for example.
We’re thinking of doing one here in the US. Don’t’know if I can find one with enough time for some CW battlefield exploration, but American crew for sure Those East Europe river cruises look great. We did Barcelona to Constantinople, mostly Greek and Philipino crew, converted Russian ‘Icebreaker’, about 600 people... nothing like those hideous floating cities, although I also see some people needing just to get away from everything for downtime rather than adventuring....
The vast oceans occupying nearly 2/3 of earth’s surface have killed lots of human beings. Capsizing of boats being the biggest reason.
When I am on a cruise, it is amazing to see nothing but water all around as far as the eye can see, for 2 or 3 days of sailing at 20 knots cruising speed. The TV in the cabin displays current depth of ocean below the ship. Sailing from Port Canaveral to St Thomas, I noticed 4 miles deep sea below the ship. Oasis of the ship is estimated to stay afloat for 4 hours before sinking, should it’s hull hit a rock or some other structural failure. Then it will be another 4 hours to reach the ocean bottom.
The mighty ship is the what keeps people alive. And so it is indeed an Oasis in the vast Sea. Same as oasis in a sand desert with hundreds of miles of hot and nasty sand all around.
Growing up in India, my parents could buy antibiotics OTC. And almost any other drug, if one knew the exact name and dosage. My mother was our doctor 90% of the time.
Have to hit Chattanooga and Vicksburg.
Rhine in the fall would be cool too.
Please stay away from those floating bug forms. It will keep prices under control for my cruises, 26 and counting, and never been sick on a cruise ship. Actually I ALWAYS come back stronger and healthier because on these large ships, one has opportunity to walk several miles each day. During my cruise last week on Oasis of the Seas, it was 1/2 mile walk round trip from our cabin to our assigned dining room. Now multiply that with minimum 4 meals daily.
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