Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan confirms 99 new coronavirus cases

The Guardian ^ | Mon 17 Feb 2020 | Justin McCurry Rebecca Ratcliffe

[yesthatjallen]

Another 99 people have tested positive for coronavirus onboard the stricken Princess Diamond cruise ship docked in Japan, bringing the total number of confirmed infections to 454.

Meanwhile concern is growing over possible infections among passengers from another cruise liner that docked in Cambodia last week. On Sunday a traveller from the MS Westerdam was confirmed to have the virus in Malaysia, days after disembarking along with hundreds of other passengers.

SNIP

Japanese public health experts advising the government defended the decision to isolate passengers and crew on the Diamond Princess.

“Many people are testing positive on the ship, but that is because we are testing everyone onboard, regardless of their medical condition,” said Shigeru Omi, the chief director of the Japan Community Health Care Organisation. “And 70% of those testing positive are not showing any symptoms at all.”

With fresh cases emerging daily, the Japanese government has advised citizens to avoid mass gatherings. On Monday it cancelled celebrations for the emperor’s birthday, while organisers of the Tokyo marathon cancelled next month’s mass participation race, in which 38,000 people were due to take part.

SNIP

[Revel]

OK... I think that you are right as I was just reading some more. Instead it was a mix of those known to have the virus, and those that are unknown. But anything that is airborne will be carried through the whole plane. You would have to have a very specially built plane to stop that. And I don’t know if such a plane has ever been built.

[DoughtyOne]

Coronavirus Spreadsheet Based on JHU data

FILE XLSX

FILE XLS

[Revel]

And pilots should now be put under quarantine as well.

[RummyChick]

I have a free cruise to Alaska set for May on NCL.

In April I will be contacting them and finding out what they are going to do if this is still going on...as I can’t be quarantined somewhere against my will for a month.

[hondact200]

Sounds like a mess being created. More cases will be identified. Meals delivered. Medications delivered. Water and whatever else. Must be getting boring for everyone being locked up in a cabin.

[hondact200]

Sounds like a mess being created. More cases will be identified. Meals delivered. Medications delivered. Water and whatever else. Must be getting boring for everyone being locked up in a cabin.

[colorado tanker]

I’m not a doctor by any means, but isn’t the close quarters of a cruise ship a dumb place to conduct a quarantine?

[CIB-173RDABN]

It must be spreading via the ventilation and sewer systems.

---

I don’t think so.

My bet is on the crew members. They get all gowned up and wear mask and gloves while interacting with the passengers but what are they wearing when they return to the crew quarters?

My guess is that they are go about their business as normal.

Even in a hospital setting it is sometimes difficult to get employees (let alone family members) to follow proper isolation procedures. These crew members are for the most part from third world nations and have had little training in isolation procedures.

I said at the beginning of this mess that unless they got the passengers off that ship soon, every one of them will get the virus.

Now it is too late. Except for those that have a natural immunity most of the passengers (and crew) will have the virus before this is all over

[Jim Noble]

This is a very important experiment of nature.

I don’t know, if I were in charge on scene, what the right thing to do is.

If it was 1399 we would tow it out beyond the 200 mile limit and sink it.

[Jim Noble]

I do not think the Diamond Princess will ever be safe for travel.

Once the passengers are off, they should sink it.

[Jim Noble]

I’m not a doctor by any means, but isn’t the close quarters of a cruise ship a dumb place to conduct a quarantine?

I suppose so, but the choices are all poor. Japan has been more than generous, but taking 4000 will collapse their hospitals.

If we are not putting up 10 000 tents on Midway Island and evacuating Molokai for use, we are falling behind the curve.

[Jim Noble]

I said at the beginning of this mess that unless they got the passengers off that ship soon

Where would you put them?

[jonrick46]

This is much like a Zombie movie where everyone turns into a Zombie and a few are left fighting them off for their lives.

[sauropod]

.

[CIB-173RDABN]

Where would you put them?
—
Where are we putting them today after waiting two weeks?

We could have sent a plane for the Americans as soon as a problem became known.

Bringing back to the US and isolating them on a military base where we have far more resources and could bring in trained medical people to handle the isolation.

Why could we do this today but not two weeks ago?

[plain talk]

If anyone travels they need to be ready to be quarantined. I wouldn’t take the cruise myself.

[EnquiringMind]

And 70% of those testing positive are not showing any symptoms at all.”

Not yet....

[DownInFlames]

The passengers are free to move around and eat together..

[DoughtyOne]

Just addressing the numbers outside China: (at this moment)

Global infection numbers: 896

Infections on Diamond Princess (D.P.): 454

D. P. infections compared to total Outside China figure: 50.67%

Cases outside China, not including the D.P. figures: 442

Growth of Outside China Figures not including the D.P. numbers.

15th: 6.37%
16th: 6.73%
17th: 3.27% (still accruing)

Growth including D.P. numbers:

15th: 27.06%
16th: 03.57%
17th: 14.43% still accruing)

Five deaths have occurred outside of Mainland China.

Three of fifteen cases in the U. S. have been declared recovered,
and there have been no deaths.

[null and void]

Bring Out Your Dead

Post to me or FReep mail to be on/off the Bring Out Your Dead ping list.

The purpose of the “Bring Out Your Dead” ping list (formerly the “Ebola” ping list) is very early warning of emerging pandemics, as such it has a high false positive rate.

So far the false positive rate is 100%.

At some point we may well have a high mortality pandemic, and likely as not the “Bring Out Your Dead” threads will miss the beginning entirely.

*sigh* Such is life, and death...

If a quarantine saves just one child's life, it's worth it.