Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Experts ponder why cruise ship quarantine failed in Japan
The Associated Press ^ | February 18, 2020 | By MARIA CHENG and MARI YAMAGUCHI

Posted on 02/18/2020 12:22:31 PM PST by Oldeconomybuyer

TOKYO -- As an extraordinary two-week quarantine of a cruise ship ends Wednesday in Japan, many scientists say it was a failed experiment: The ship seemed to serve as an incubator for the new virus from China instead of an isolation facility meant to prevent the worsening of an outbreak.

Since the virus was identified late last year in central China, it has sickened tens of thousands of people and killed more than 1,800.

As of Tuesday, 542 cases of the virus, known as COVID-19, have been identified among the 3,711 quarantined passengers and crew, making the ship the site of the most infections outside of China. The Diamond Princess cruise ship is also the only place where health officials have seen the disease spread easily among people beyond China.

The question now is: Why?

The Japanese government has repeatedly defended the effectiveness of the quarantine. But some experts suggest it may have been less than rigorous.

In a possible sign of lax quarantine protocols, three Japanese health officials who helped in the quarantine checks on the ship were also infected.

“There are sometimes environments in which disease can spread in a more efficient way,” said Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization’s health emergencies program. Ryan said cruise ships in particular were known to occasionally accelerate spread.

“It’s an unfortunate event occurring on the ship and we trust that the authorities in Japan and the governments who are taking back people will be able to follow up those individuals in the appropriate way,” he said.

(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Japan; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: china; cruiseships; virus
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-48 next last

1 posted on 02/18/2020 12:22:31 PM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

Because it wasn’t a real quarantine. They may have kept cruise ship passengers from infecting those in Japan, but they ensured that those trapped on the ship would be put at greater risk of the virus through inadequate isolation. The worse place to be in Wuhan is inside any of the overcrowded hospitals, with sick people stacked up like cordwood.


2 posted on 02/18/2020 12:25:41 PM PST by littleharbour ("You take on the intel community they have six ways from Sunday at getting back at you" C. Schumer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

Air conditioning..........................


3 posted on 02/18/2020 12:26:20 PM PST by Red Badger (CWII is coming. It won't be nice like the last one....................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

passengers = guinea pigs


4 posted on 02/18/2020 12:27:19 PM PST by Roccus (Prima di ogni altra cosa, siate armati!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

4000+ people packed onto a small closed space, with shared services, ventilation, food, etc... for literally everything - and they’re wondering why quarantine didn’t work?


5 posted on 02/18/2020 12:27:43 PM PST by PGR88
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

It was certainly an appropriate thing to try.

Unfortunately, since the medical team got it, and possibly spread it, we will never know if it should have worked.

Even though. I think UVC lights should be built in the air ducts of all ships, planes, and buildings. Maybe even taxi cabs, since there are now germicidal lights that do not cause skin damage.

Was water recycled on the ship?
What about food preparation and delivery?


6 posted on 02/18/2020 12:28:18 PM PST by DannyTN
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

Scientists baffled.....


7 posted on 02/18/2020 12:28:25 PM PST by Karl Spooner
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

Is this satire?


8 posted on 02/18/2020 12:31:13 PM PST by RinaseaofDs
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: littleharbour

Agree. A ship is NO place to quarantine, due to the inadequate air supply/ventilation, for such situations.

Not sure what a better solution would be...maybe to haved immediately moved the uninfected to a military base type MASH unit, as quarantine time passed.

(Someone had even suggested using Midway. Not sure what Midway even has as far as power/water goes, these days.)

Remove the infected to hospitals, as they have been doing.


9 posted on 02/18/2020 12:31:51 PM PST by Jane Long (Praise God, from whom ALL blessings flow.cuase)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer
As of this morning, the Diamond Princess is the location of 53.46% of the
COVID-19 cases outside of China.

Some of those cases are now counted in the U. S. numbers and I believe some
in Japan also.

So that 53.46% is actually a low-ball figure, but I can't quantify it
any better than that.

10 posted on 02/18/2020 12:31:59 PM PST by DoughtyOne (The DNC has a taxidermist on speed dial for Nancy, Hillary, and Ruth.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

So locking up a bunch of healthy people in close proximity to a few sick people for two weeks results in more infections?

I can’t imagine why...


11 posted on 02/18/2020 12:34:25 PM PST by Yo-Yo ( is the /sarc tag really necessary?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: littleharbour
Because it wasn’t a real quarantine.

Exactly. The crew in particular had no training as to what was required in even a "normal" quarantine, and the minimal steps taken were predictably inadequate. It was, in practice, a large steel sick house into which both infected and healthy were crammed together, an experiment cobbled together with no control, no protocols, and human "volunteers" that hadn't.

12 posted on 02/18/2020 12:37:36 PM PST by Billthedrill
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer
"“There are sometimes environments in which disease can spread in a more efficient way,” said Dr. Michael Ryan,"

Because there's never been a case of widespread norovirus infection on a cruise ship before......

13 posted on 02/18/2020 12:38:25 PM PST by Tench_Coxe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

Why does Norwalk spread like wildfire?

Sheesh.


14 posted on 02/18/2020 12:38:57 PM PST by mewzilla (Break out the mustard seeds.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Ventilation, in general sucks on cruise ships. They have long been known as Petri dishes!


15 posted on 02/18/2020 12:44:20 PM PST by BunnySlippers (I love BULL MARKETS!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: BunnySlippers

It would have been safer for them to sleep on deck!.....................


16 posted on 02/18/2020 12:45:41 PM PST by Red Badger (CWII is coming. It won't be nice like the last one....................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

Could be the orgy?


17 posted on 02/18/2020 12:48:30 PM PST by Berlin_Freeper
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

First hand why: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtHYZkLuKcI


18 posted on 02/18/2020 12:52:07 PM PST by LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget (TRUMP TRAIN !!! Get the hell out of the way if you are not on yet because we don't stop for idiots)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: PGR88

Sunshine if the enemy of viruses and bacteria.


19 posted on 02/18/2020 12:53:40 PM PST by Western Phil
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer; neverdem; ProtectOurFreedom; Mother Abigail; EBH; vetvetdoug; Smokin' Joe; ...
Japanese Infection Control Specialist reports on visit to quarantined Diamond Princess Cruise ship (video)
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.

20 posted on 02/18/2020 12:53:57 PM PST by null and void (By the pricking of my lungs, Something wicked this way comes ...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-48 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson