When did the hand washing/wiping become mandatory?

[bevtoy]

Out of interest on the same sort of topic, when one visits a hospital ward here in the UK, you have to sanitize your hands prior to entry - is this the same in America?

David

We live in central Illinois, they do not require anything like that here but I wish they would. They have a sign posted at our local hospital asking you not to inter if you have any flu like symptoms. Same for the long term care, everytime a flu epidemic comes through we loose at least one elderly person locally.

 

[woody73]

DW was on the cruise that had the Norwalk Virus outbreak. Fortunately, she was not affected. But for others, it was ugly. Really ugly.

The wipes and hand sanitizers are now there for a reason. Use them and enjoy your cruise.

Woody

 

[DisneyDavid]

kshabare -

Please don't misunderstand me. I wasn't annoyed. I wasn't trying to start any debates here. I think the handwiping is wonderful.

Previously, when I cruised this was an optional thing. When I saw it was mandatory, I wondered was there a recent outbreak?

The whole point of this thread was to try and pinpoint the date when this changed. All I know for sure from the responses so far is sometime between May 04 and May 06.

 

[Tigger&Bubba]

Last week on the Wonder I saw everyone using them. (Wipes) On past trips I noticed alot of people passing by the handwashing stations. So having the CM's as a reminder I think really helps. We bring our own Clorox wipes and go over everything in our stateroom when we arrive. It is such a small thing and can make such a big difference.

 

[Euphscott]

My concern is if the wipes are the antibacterial kind. Numerous studies have indicated that antibacterial wipes, soaps and what have you are actually counter productive as the bacteria will eventually change and "beat the system" so to speak. Good old fashioned soap is your better antidote.

 

[Whisker]

My concern is if the wipes are the antibacterial kind. Numerous studies have indicated that antibacterial wipes, soaps and what have you are actually counter productive as the bacteria will eventually change and "beat the system" so to speak. Good old fashioned soap is your better antidote.

Sadly you can't count on some folks to use good old fashioned soap... that's why there are outbreaks of sickness on ships. I don't think a few days or even a week of using antibacterial stuff will hurt anyone... the studies I have heard were all on prolonged or "overuse" of the stuff.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

We bring our own Clorox wipes and go over everything in our stateroom when we arrive. It is such a small thing and can make such a big difference.

We do the same thing...even in the Disney Resorts. I also always bring a can of Lysol with me and use it throughout our trips.

We also have the purell wipes we use everywhere we go, as well as the squirty kind. It is way too easy to get sick!

 

[woody73]

. . . Good old fashioned soap is your better antidote.

Scott, I agree. But after washing one's hands, he or she might touch something (an elevator button, door knob, stairs handrail, or chair frame) or someone (by shaking hands).

Woody

 

[daipp]

We live in central Illinois, they do not require anything like that here but I wish they would. They have a sign posted at our local hospital asking you not to inter if you have any flu like symptoms. Same for the long term care, everytime a flu epidemic comes through we loose at least one elderly person locally.

Thanks for the reply !

I contracted salmonella in a hotel in Spain four years ago (finally in court in a few weeks time), and the pain it caused all because someone possibly in the food chain didn't wash their hands is not worth it. I now have IBS as a direct result of the illness. I suppose I was lucky because if it had been a very young person or very old person the outcome could have been so different.

Long live hand-washing

David

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Out of interest on the same sort of topic, when one visits a hospital ward here in the UK, you have to sanitize your hands prior to entry - is this the same in America?

David

I work in a hospital in Philadelphia (xray.) The only place that makes us scrub prior to entry, besides the OR of course, is the Intensive Care Nursery, and also wear a yellow cover gown. In rooms where patients are listed as certain types of isolation we have to gown, mask and glove. We're more than happy to wash on the way out!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I'm curious to know measures that other cruiselines are taking...anyone cruised another line who could compare??

My ds9 got sick on a Carnival cruise last Oct. It happened within hours of being on the ship so who knows where he caught the germ and how long it takes until symptoms appear. I really can't blame them. Could have been the plane or school the day before, etc. We went to the infirmary and the CDC makes them (and us) fill out a long form asking what and where he ate for the previous 3 days. I can barely remember what I had for dinner last night let alone what my child ate for lunch 3 days ago! We did our best anyway. He was quarantined to our cabin for 24 hrs. Luckily, it was my "inside boy" who is perfectly content to stay in and watch cartoons all day. Thank God they have Boomerang and Cartoon Network on TV! If it were ds6 he'd be completely bonkers to stay in 24 hrs! Since he vomited all over the fold-down bunk and carpet, bed linens etc. the whole cabin had to be completely santized. They even got the chunks from the folding side rail hinges! (Sorry) Our cabin smelled like bleach when we returned. They really did a great job and we gave our room steward a really good tip. None of it was his fault. It's hard enough to clean your own child's vomit but someone else's is just too much! Hopefully we won't have the same experience on our 1st DCL cruise in Feb. That's one service I don't want to compare!