Norovirus Outbreak on the QE2

[John Clifford]

From www.cnn.com: http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/01/24/cruiseship.outbreak.ap/index.html

Some 276 passengers, and 28 crew members were stricken during the outbreak.
Fortunately, as the ship docked in San Francisco, only about 4 persons were still sick as the ship docked.

Certain procedures undertaken by the Crew helped keep the disease from spreading. That included the cessation of self-service at the Ship's buffets.

Again, when you see the hand sanitizers at various places, including at the Kings Court areas, the gymnasium, Library, and the Computer Center (all these places are aboard the Queen Mary 2), the best advice to be offered is to use those hand sanitizers as often as you can.

 

[Michael H. Standart]

>>That included the cessation of self-service at the Ship's buffets.<<

Jim Kalafus scores a touchdown with this one. The hand sanitizers are nice, but that's not a barrier to some other less then hygenic practices that people have which he discussed in the New Age of Passenger Liners folder.

 

[Kyle Johnstone]

The buffet has not been self-service for some time now.
But other measures taken during this were removing salt/pepper shakers and removing the bowls of nuts from the bars.

The cause of the outbreak has been changed on CDC's on-line report from "norovirus" to "pending"
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/surv/GIlist.htm

 

[Jerry Nuovo]

When I was aboard the QE2 last year from January 9 to January 23,I and the other passengers had to use the hand sanitizers when we entered The Lido to have breakfast or when entering The Mauretania Restaurant to have dinner.I am sure that not one passenger came down with norovirus while I was aboard QE2 last year.Next July when I will be aboard QM2 for the roundtrip transatlantic crossings us passengers probably will have to use the hand santizers.