Concerns about cruising at all until COVID19 vaccine exists

[DCLCrazy64622]

I would really like to see an antibodies test develop so we can see if we had it and didn’t realize it. If we do have the antibodies it means we are immune and will probably travel as soon as sept.

 

[Snowwhyt]

We have a New Years Disney Cruise. I'm not cancelling it yet, but will reassess by PIF date in Sept. If things aren't drastically improved by late summer then I'll cancel and avoid trying to deal with a refund at a later date.

Many feel the second wave of this will occur in the fall. Our plans are 2 weeks after you. I will make decisions for us (78,78,57,22,21) about a month after the restart occurs.

I would really like to see an antibodies test develop so we can see if we had it and didn’t realize it. If we do have the antibodies it means we are immune and will probably travel as soon as sept.

I was pretty sure that’s already in the works. If I’m not mistaken preliminary indications show this to be a rapid five minute test. There is also a test with Covid results within a few hours. I did see a machine that could test for one of these two states of Covid-19. Not enough testing right now to prove that it works but I believe China also has rapid testing. Kind of a cute little white machine that looks like a egg that opened up in the middle. But it’s so early you don’t know if this stuff really works.

 

[ScooterScott44]

I would really like to see an antibodies test develop so we can see if we had it and didn’t realize it. If we do have the antibodies it means we are immune and will probably travel as soon as sept.

Serology testing is showing promise and the ELISA for immunoglobulins (IgM and IgA) is looking better than PCR testing. It looks to be faster and with pretty good results but these test need validation and to be approved. Developers are using the fast track for emergency use with the FDA so it may not be all that long.
Edit - most look to be about a 15 minute test.

 

[knewton64]

I am wondering if anyone else has decided to stop going on any cruises until there is a COVID19 vaccine around? I had been planning to book a DCL for early 2021, but now I really don't know. Even if we "flatten the curve", COVID19 will still be out there. It probably won't be gone until we have a vaccine, or so many people get it that we have herd immunity. I am guessing it will be at least a year for either of these things to happen. Cruises seem like a particularly scary breeding ground for COVID19. I feel sad about it, but I don't see how it can possibly be safe anytime in the next year. Thoughts?

Ditto here and my opinion includes all leisure travel as well -


hence I have canceled my France trip, my Nashville trip, my DCL key west trip and one i could have gone either way but went ahead and canceled it also was my DCL Alaska adventure -


reason?
I just dont look good wearing a ventilator -


Was the toughest call I had to make but glad i chose personal safety over leisure travel.



Good luck to all in your decisions and choices -



T.T.F.N.
&
CHEERS Y'ALL

 

[StarSeven7]

Serology testing is showing promise and the ELISA for immunoglobulins (IgM and IgA) is looking better than PCR testing. It looks to be faster and with pretty good results but these test need validation and to be approved. Developers are using the fast track for emergency use with the FDA so it may not be all that long.
Edit - most look to be about a 15 minute test.

I hope so! I would love to take an antibody test! As unbelievable as it sounds, I am starting to think I might have had covid-19 already back over Christmas/New Year. A nasty bug was going around my kids' school and my son and I both ended up with it along with several people that I know. All the symptoms match and I know at least one person(a healthy guy in his 30s) ended up with severe pneumonia from it. It would be interesting to find out if that's what it possibly was.

 

[randumb0]

It would be good if the cruise lines implemented a covid 19 test as a requirement prior to boarding. Just add the cost of the test to the cruise fee

 

[monkeydawn]

Are you saying that no one tests for immunity? - Titers.

Those tests are done all the time and for many different diseases. Titers simply check that the person has adequate antibodies to a specific disease. So yes, it is checked.

People in heath care, schools and food industries, including culinary schools, have to have titers drawn as part of normal processes. Titers can also be used in healthcare as part of patient assessment. It is important to remember a persons antibodies to a disease can decrease over time so Titers can also change and someone who was once considered immune can be susceptible later. Therefore titers may need to be rechecked.

I'm going to go way OT for a second here. Titers are also very useful for pets, particularly older or breeds that tend to be sensitive to certain inoculations. Vaccines are usually figured on the heavy side of the schedule for pets and this can sometimes be a real problem. Some vets will perform titers before vaccinating to see if its necessary. So to bring it back a bit on topic, yes, titers are fairly common and would be a possible option.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Serology testing is showing promise and the ELISA for immunoglobulins (IgM and IgA) is looking better than PCR testing. It looks to be faster and with pretty good results but these test need validation and to be approved. Developers are using the fast track for emergency use with the FDA so it may not be all that long.
Edit - most look to be about a 15 minute test.

Any idea what types of numbers for IgM and IgA?

Also, anyone heard anything about elevated hemoglobin being a factor? And what is that number (compared to normal) anyway?

 

[ScooterScott44]

Any idea what types of numbers for IgM and IgA?

Also, anyone heard anything about elevated hemoglobin being a factor? And what is that number (compared to normal) anyway?

Sorry, I missed one. The assays are looking at IgG, IgM and IgA, so I missed one in my post.

I’m getting most of my SARS-CoV2 info from the New England Journal of Medicine and then sometimes jump off to other sites or journals. The data I have seen is looking at viability of test so far. Some of the tests seem to be less than reliable so I don’t know that there is a good timeline on anything including lab values. With all the info, I am also usually skimming the abstracts and not diving into every article. Haven’t seen much on Hemoglobin, but I have been following some of the pieces about the RAAS System and how recombinant Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 might help the critically ill patients.

 

[FireflyTrance]

I had just read something similar. I can't put my whole life on hold for years, but I can put off cruising for several years if I have to. The stories about people being stuck on a cruise ship surrounded my others with COVID19, and not allowed to dock at ports are scary.

I was just reading an article in which experts said the oft-quoted 18 months timeframe for a vaccine would barely be possible even for an extreme fast track, taking shortcuts and risks. They said safe vaccine production is measured in years rather than months. So a vaccine being ready for everyone even a year from now is unlikely. Not saying it's wrong to wait- just injecting a bit of reality into the likely timeframe for a safe vaccine.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/31/us/coronavirus-vaccine-timetable-concerns-experts-invs/index.html

 

[n2mm]

Add me to the list. I don’t want to cruise until after a vaccine. Heck, it would be better if it was mandatory to have one to get on the ship. Just like having to have certain shops to travel to certain countries. I just got canceled and offered the 125% of my cruise to apply to another cruise and even with that incentive I’m on the fence to how far I can push it Or just take the refund and end it. I have a b2b in September which will probably be canceled and probably cancel my Jan 2021 cruise.

 

[Frozen2014]

It would be good if the cruise lines implemented a covid 19 test as a requirement prior to boarding. Just add the cost of the test to the cruise fee

I was just saying this to DH. If only they could do a test when you board. Then again, I guess someone could catch it coming back from Port.

 

[soniam]

We are not high risk and don't come into regular contact with anyone who is, ie no close family or friends. We have a cruise booked for July. We will most likely go if it's not canceled. There are a lot of factors at play. We have no idea what cruising then will be like. We have no idea what the virus will be doing. We don't know what kind of quarantine requirements will exist. We also don't know what the economy will be doing. I am not holding my breath for a vaccine. If one becomes available, I will read the pertinent info and decide if we should get it or not. My son has received all vaccines recommended by his doctors, the AMA, and the state/schools, so we aren't anti-vaccine. I do believe in herd immunity. I think everyone has to make travel decisions for themselves. I don't believe that one family's decision is the right choice for all. We are staying at home now, because we can't afford to lose our essential workers, ie healthcare and food providers. We can easily work from home, so it hasn't been too big of a deal. If our cruise is canceled, we will look into rebooking, probably for next summer or Spring Break. We have 2 WDW and 3 Universal Orlando trips planned through the rest of the year that we plan on taking if possible.

I hope so! I would love to take an antibody test! As unbelievable as it sounds, I am starting to think I might have had covid-19 already back over Christmas/New Year. A nasty bug was going around my kids' school and my son and I both ended up with it along with several people that I know. All the symptoms match and I know at least one person(a healthy guy in his 30s) ended up with severe pneumonia from it. It would be interesting to find out if that's what it possibly was.

I kind of wonder about this too. I got some really nasty upper respiratory thing after we got back from Chile/Argentina during xmas break. It took forever for me to kick it, and I even had a fever at one point, at which I stayed home. I was coughing for like ever. One night I couldn't sleep I was coughing so hard and long. My poor husband had to sleep in the guest bedroom. There were a lot of Asians wearing masks on the plane too. I am not saying that they had it; they may always wear masks on planes. I do believe they were Chinese. I have studied Korean and Japanese, and their speech sounded more like Chinese. I am also not saying that only Chinese had/have it or spread it. Of course, I could have just gotten a good old fashioned cold. I didn't have much in the way of body aches though, but I rarely get those with illnesses that can cause them.

 

[AquaDame]

There were a lot of Asians wearing masks on the plane too. I am not saying that they had it; they may always wear masks on planes. I do believe they were Chinese.

Its extremely common to wear masks over there for any number of reasons. Sick? Mask. Don't want to get sick? Mask. Don't feel like putting on makeup? Mask. Feeling cold? Mask (your breath in a mask does keep your face warmer). Have a cold sore? Mask. Style choice? Mask. Etc. We even bought a few when we were in Japan last year that has little gel packets that you put in a pocket on the mask to keep you more hydrated while flying.

I want the antibody test... the more we learn about the virus the more people think they already had it. My friends who live in Washington had a weird eye infection that didn't respond normally to antibiotics - Clark County had a spate of these cases in January and the doctors didn't know what it was, eventually it cleared up but turns out that is also a symptom.

 

[StarSeven7]

I want the antibody test... the more we learn about the virus the more people think they already had it. My friends who live in Washington had a weird eye infection that didn't respond normally to antibiotics - Clark County had a spate of these cases in January and the doctors didn't know what it was, eventually it cleared up but turns out that is also a symptom.

Yeah there are some really odd symptoms for this! Reading about some of the stranger symptoms is actually what got me thinking that I possibly had it. Along with fever, cough, sore throat and being sick for 2 weeks straight - 1 week of which I literally had to lay on the couch all day, I also had nausea and loss of taste. I normally drink ice water but I had to start drinking water room temperature because it tasted so weird cold. And the nausea reminded me of when I was pregnant (but no vomiting! Really weird symptoms that don't typically go together. I went to the doctor several times and my son even more times and they couldn't diagnose us with anything - just a virus. One doctor seemed to imply that it was a new virus she had seen a few times this season that was really long lasting and a strange, nasty virus.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Yeah there are some really odd symptoms for this! Reading about some of the stranger symptoms is actually what got me thinking that I possibly had it. Along with fever, cough, sore throat and being sick for 2 weeks straight - 1 week of which I literally had to lay on the couch all day, I also had nausea and loss of taste. I normally drink ice water but I had to start drinking water room temperature because it tasted so weird cold. And the nausea reminded me of when I was pregnant (but no vomiting! Really weird symptoms that don't typically go together. I went to the doctor several times and my son even more times and they couldn't diagnose us with anything - just a virus. One doctor seemed to imply that it was a new virus she had seen a few times this season that was really long lasting and a strange, nasty virus.

I have my suspicions that it was here by Xmas, as well, but I keep coming back to how contagious it is now versus that, essentially, mini-outbreak over winter. If that was here then, why didn't it spread like it's spreading now? People who were sick were at Xmas parties, vacation, visiting family, including grandma and grandpa. Yet the anecdotes of people who think they had it are limited. It was certainly a year attributed to much higher numbers of flu cases, including people dying from it that had no underlying reason to have died from it. But still, not in the numbers we are seeing right now, even with the 'shelter in place' happening all over the world.

 

[TreeFalls]

I have my suspicions that it was here by Xmas, as well, but I keep coming back to how contagious it is now versus that, essentially, mini-outbreak over winter. If that was here then, why didn't it spread like it's spreading now? People who were sick were at Xmas parties, vacation, visiting family, including grandma and grandpa. Yet the anecdotes of people who think they had it are limited. It was certainly a year attributed to much higher numbers of flu cases, including people dying from it that had no underlying reason to have died from it. But still, not in the numbers we are seeing right now, even with the 'shelter in place' happening all over the world.

I think the biggest evidence that it wasn't spreading here that early is the number of deaths. There were probably a small number of early cases that were missed, but if a large proportion of the people who had a bad respiratory thing in dec/jan actually had covid, there would have been a noticeable increase in deaths from pneumonia during that time.

 

[knewton64]

I have my suspicions that it was here by Xmas, as well, but I keep coming back to how contagious it is now versus that, essentially, mini-outbreak over winter. If that was here then, why didn't it spread like it's spreading now? People who were sick were at Xmas parties, vacation, visiting family, including grandma and grandpa. Yet the anecdotes of people who think they had it are limited. It was certainly a year attributed to much higher numbers of flu cases, including people dying from it that had no underlying reason to have died from it. But still, not in the numbers we are seeing right now, even with the 'shelter in place' happening all over the world.

The Spanish flu of 1918 came in 3 waves -
Spring , fall , winter .
With no known effective vaccine to combat the Carona virus , I see it also coming back sept 2020 thru March 2021....
And it’s to each their own if they want to venture out June - August this year .
Me? I’m choosing to err on the side of caution and Feel relieved I made the right choice in canceling all my leisure vacations-

p..s.s - yes I too find it quite fascinating that more and more people are coming out with their stories of in essence feeling they were misdiagnosed by their doctors in December and January ...

ttfn

 

[princessmommyx3]

I think the biggest evidence that it wasn't spreading here that early is the number of deaths. There were probably a small number of early cases that were missed, but if a large proportion of the people who had a bad respiratory thing in dec/jan actually had covid, there would have been a noticeable increase in deaths from pneumonia during that time.

But do you think it’s possible that there were a large number of covid deaths during that time that were wrongly attributed to influenza? The CDC estimated that at least 12,000 people died from influenza between Oct. 1, 2019 through Feb. 1, 2020, and the number of deaths may be as high as 30,000. That’s a lot of people! Would a few thousand deaths in Dec/Jan/early Feb from supposed flu/pneumonia (but actually covid) have raised any eyebrows? I honestly don’t know what to think, I’m just thinking out loud.

 

[FigmentSpark]

But do you think it’s possible that there were a large number of covid deaths during that time that were wrongly attributed to influenza? The CDC estimated that at least 12,000 people died from influenza between Oct. 1, 2019 through Feb. 1, 2020, and the number of deaths may be as high as 30,000. That’s a lot of people! Would a few thousand deaths in Dec/Jan/early Feb from supposed flu/pneumonia (but actually covid) have raised any eyebrows? I honestly don’t know what to think, I’m just thinking out loud.

You'd really have to compare it to other years to see if that sounds normal, particularly since they said we saw 2 strains of flu this year.

I want to believe a bunch of us have some miracle immunity, but I'm not willing to be the guinea pig and find out until they have an antibody test.