Off the Dream Sunday - daugher diagnosed with the flu type A on Wed

[Rogillio]

My wife just took my daughter to the doctor and found out she has Type A flu and a fever of 103. We flew home from MCO on Sunday. I'm guessing she got the flu on the ship as she started feeling bad the last day of the cruise and has gotten progressively worse.

So is there any reason to notify DCL or is it "too late" since it's she is back out at sea now with different passengers?

 

[Four Swampers]

It might be nice for you to let DCL know. It would not be required, nor should it really make much difference. They clean the ship like crazy. The problem is that whenever you get a lot of people in one place, germs get shared. For Influenza, germs get shared through the air, and you can't clean the air.

Since it is flu season, you can be certain that 20 or more passengers who are on the Dream right now brought onboard their own case of the flu, as did 20 or more on the Fantasy, on the Magic, the Wonder, every ship in RC, Carnival, NCL, Princess, your child's school, the school next door, the junior high, the high school, church, synagogue, temple, the grocery, and everywhere else that has people.

So you do not have any moral obligation to report this, but you could if you wanted to do so.

I'm a pediatrician, by the way.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

My wife just took my daughter to the doctor and found out she has Type A flu and a fever of 103. We flew home from MCO on Sunday. I'm guessing she got the flu on the ship as she started feeling bad the last day of the cruise and has gotten progressively worse.

So is there any reason to notify DCL or is it "too late" since it's she is back out at sea now with different passengers?

I guess you could still tell DCL. While the incubation period for the flu is generally about 2 days, it can be up to 4 days, so it may be possible that she actually was exposed prior to getting on the ship.

Otherwise, how was the trip?

 

[Rogillio]

It might be nice for you to let DCL know. It would not be required, nor should it really make much difference. They clean the ship like crazy. The problem is that whenever you get a lot of people in one place, germs get shared. For Influenza, germs get shared through the air, and you can't clean the air.

Since it is flu season, you can be certain that 20 or more passengers who are on the Dream right now brought onboard their own case of the flu, as did 20 or more on the Fantasy, on the Magic, the Wonder, every ship in RC, Carnival, NCL, Princess, your child's school, the school next door, the junior high, the high school, church, synagogue, temple, the grocery, and everywhere else that has people.

So you do not have any moral obligation to report this, but you could if you wanted to do so.

I'm a pediatrician, by the way.

Thanks. I sent DCL as quick note letting them know.

 

[kriswin1]

this is a fear of mine that we get the flu on the trip. the last time one of my kids got the flu, three yrs ago, it turned in pneumonia. we leave in 9 days for an 8 day trip out of Galveston. i am bringing Lysol spray, Lysol wipes (to clean phones, faucets and door handle) and a lot of hand sanitizer. i wonder if they have tamiflu on board and antibiotics?

 

[Rogillio]

this is a fear of mine that we get the flu on the trip. the last time one of my kids got the flu, three yrs ago, it turned in pneumonia. we leave in 9 days for an 8 day trip out of Galveston. i am bringing Lysol spray, Lysol wipes (to clean phones, faucets and door handle) and a lot of hand sanitizer. i wonder if they have tamiflu on board and antibiotics?

We have sailed on 12 cruise for a total of 72 days and this is the first time anyone has ever gotten the flu. Hmmm, wait.....my wife did get food poisoning once time years ago.

 

[Lisa Lisa]

I'm sorry to hear that your DD is sick, Rogillio, and I hope the rest of your family manages to stay healthy! I've heard that particular strain is particularly nasty. Did she get a flu shot or the FluMist? I've heard that this year's shot/mist is effective against the strain currently going around, but I'm not sure how accurate that information is.

 

[sayhello]

I'm sorry to hear that your DD is sick, Rogillio, and I hope the rest of your family manages to stay healthy! I've heard that particular strain is particularly nasty. Did she get a flu shot or the FluMist? I've heard that this year's shot/mist is effective against the strain currently going around, but I'm not sure how accurate that information is.

I've heard the same thing. This is the worst flu outbreak in 10 years (plus it started earlier than usual). But the flu shot for this year targets this strain of flu, so should help.

Sayhello

 

[Silverfox97]

We got off the Fantasy Dec15th & DH brought home the flu. I was unaffected because I got the flu shot, which he's never had. He was awfully sick & it drug on & on. Guess what he's getting next year?!?!?

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[Meghatron]

i wonder if they have tamiflu on board and antibiotics?

Antibiotics won't help with flu because it's viral, not bacterial.

 

[chrismartinique]

It might be nice for you to let DCL know. It would not be required, nor should it really make much difference. They clean the ship like crazy. The problem is that whenever you get a lot of people in one place, germs get shared. For Influenza, germs get shared through the air, and you can't clean the air.

and also.... they clean like crazy but its not the touch things in order from clean to dirty like we do in medicine. They clean toilets wearing gloves then retouch clean surfaces like counter tops and door knobs. My stateroom person was cleaning a bathroom next door with gloves then went into his clean linen cart with the the same gloves. Oh it hurst my head to notice those things. You just gotta try to not dwell and keep your own hands clean.

OP I was on the same cruise. We are all healthy, but I thought of the germ load constantly. I was down at guest services paying my bill late on the last night. A lady came down to guest services saying one in her party had a bad GI situation - horrible vomiting and I was thinking get me in that protective bubble. She was asking if there was an outbreak and the attendant said no one else reported any type of illness. Like Four Swampers said though, I'm sure many got on board with health issues they did not report.

Hope your daughter feels better quickly.

 

[Four Swampers]

and also.... they clean like crazy but its not the touch things in order from clean to dirty like we do in medicine. They clean toilets wearing gloves then retouch clean surfaces like counter tops and door knobs. My stateroom person was cleaning a bathroom next door with gloves then went into his clean linen cart with the the same gloves. Oh it hurst my head to notice those things. You just gotta try to not dwell and keep your own hands clean.

OP I was on the same cruise. We are all healthy, but I thought of the germ load constantly. I was down at guest services paying my bill late on the last night. A lady came down to guest services saying one in her party had a bad GI situation - horrible vomiting and I was thinking get me in that protective bubble. She was asking if there was an outbreak and the attendant said no one else reported illness. Like Four Swampers said though, I'm sure many got on board with health issues they did not report.

Remember, influenza is largely spread through the air. You can sterilize the ship with bleach, radiation, and lasers, and the moment you let the passengers on, your work is meaningless. If you must stay healthy at all costs, stay home and have someone sterilize your food and your mail before they slip it through a slot next to the door.

 

[Bear3412]

.... You can sterilize the ship with bleach, radiation, and lasers, and the moment you let the passengers on, your work is meaningless.....

True though.

 

[chrismartinique]

Remember, influenza is largely spread through the air. You can sterilize the ship with bleach, radiation, and lasers, and the moment you let the passengers on, your work is meaningless. If you must stay healthy at all costs, stay home and have someone sterilize your food and your mail before they slip it through a slot next to the door.

infection control nurse here
Contact is too a major way to spread. Clean hands #1 way to prevent illness to oneself. No I don't irradiate, bleach and sterilize my life. Obviously I wouldn't have a job if I did. I do think they should be taught correct way to clean. Clean to dirty. You touch the toilet, you don't touch the next thing until clean gloves. Do everything you can to break the chain. I walked into a bathroom right by the buffet restaurant, opened the toilet and there was puke in it. I thought, oh boy, if one of the restroom attendants comes to clean this toilet, then they touch the counter top or door handle without changing gloves, well, whats the point. It looks clean, but it is not!

 

[MND]

My wife just took my daughter to the doctor and found out she has Type A flu and a fever of 103. We flew home from MCO on Sunday. I'm guessing she got the flu on the ship as she started feeling bad the last day of the cruise and has gotten progressively worse.

So is there any reason to notify DCL or is it "too late" since it's she is back out at sea now with different passengers?

I'm sorry to hear that. I hope she gets well soon. Otherwise, how was your crusie?

Mike

 

[Rogillio]

I'm sorry to hear that. I hope she gets well soon. Otherwise, how was your crusie?

Mike

It was awesome. My daughter slept a lot the last day but other than that, it was a great trip.

 

[MND]

It was awesome. My daughter slept a lot the last day but other than that, it was a great trip.

Having a family member get sick on the ship is always my fear. I got sick at a resort once, but I had the brown bottle flu, if you know what I mean. Take care!

Mike

 

[Rogillio]

Having a family member get sick on the ship is always my fear. I got sick at a resort once, but I had the brown bottle flu, if you know what I mean. Take care!

Mike

My wife got sick with food poisoning on the next to the last day of our 7 day cruise in 2004. She spend the next 24 hrs 'quarenteened' in the room while the kids and I played at Castaway Cay. She's not a beach person so she was ok with saying in the room and watching movies. She had gone to medical when she got sick and they took a blood sample. She was suprised that the nurse did not use glooves to take the blood. So after the cruise she sent a letter to DCL about this.

We got a letter back and DCL distanced themselves from the blood issue saying the nurses are contractors and they would pass on the info to them, bla, bla, bla. They appologized for the food poisoning (again admitting no liability) and said since we did not have travel insurance they could not refund the cruise.....but they would give us a credit voucher for the cost of her cruise fare. We were 2A/2C in a verandah room on a 7 day cruise in the summer so her credit voucher was for like almost 1/2 the total fare so we got like $3,200 or so! This was enough to completely cover the cost of a 4 day cruise in January!

After that I've teased my wife that she should get sick again so we could get another "free cruise". She said no!

 

[Capt_BJ]

I got a flu shot back in the fall

and I came down with a zinger of a case of the flu right after Christmas. Still not back to 100%. First time I've been zapped in a long time as I always get the shot ... but this year's strain is a hummdinger.

 

[Bear3412]

..... they took a blood sample.....

Did you learn the results? Do you believe DCL stateside knew the results and that may have influenced their willingness to refund? Were others poisoned too?

Can you say interrogation?