Not a good sign for cruise ship industry return before vaccine

[kelemvor]

It isn't logistically feasible to test all 30 or 40k trial participants on a daily basis.

Couldn't they just provide the participants with a sample collection system for each day? It might take a lot longer to actually analyze the samples but the data could be collected.

 

[uncfnp]

In both mRNA studies, subjects were not tested post vaccination if they didn’t have symptoms hence no results on asymptomatic contagion.

In the AstraZeneca study, it seems that at least one arm of the study did allow testing of asymptomatic test subjects and preliminary data is reported as hopeful that vaccination does reduce contagion. Repeat, very preliminary!

 

[RyanT]

Couldn't they just provide the participants with a sample collection system for each day? It might take a lot longer to actually analyze the samples but the data could be collected.

Probably not. Samples for a PCR test can be stored for up to 72 hours refrigerated. Longer than that and they need to be placed in an ultra cold freezer at -70 C. The samples also need to be collected properly. The logistics of properly collecting, storing, and transporting samples collected by 30-45k individual people (x 120 daily samples per person) who are scattered around the globe sounds pretty close to impossible.

 

[ReefHound]

And that's just it, it's not fully understood what constitutes contagion. If you shed one viral particle does that make you contagious? Probably not. In addition, it also isn't understood if it's possible for the vaccine to protect you against infection, while you still shed virus. So it's possible you could come up negative on a test and still shed virus. It isn't logistically feasible to test all 30 or 40k trial participants on a daily basis. So that means these data have to be inferred over long periods of monitoring.

Oh, please. The world is pumping tens of billions of dollars into development. They can afford a few million to test daily. And while you're conducting the covid test, cough into this filter and look at it for shedded virus.

 

[ReefHound]

In both mRNA studies, subjects were not tested post vaccination if they didn’t have symptoms hence no results on asymptomatic contagion.

Gross negligence.

 

[ReefHound]

Probably not. Samples for a PCR test can be stored for up to 72 hours refrigerated. Longer than that and they need to be placed in an ultra cold freezer at -70 C. The samples also need to be collected properly. The logistics of properly collecting, storing, and transporting samples collected by 30-45k individual people (x 120 daily samples per person) who are scattered around the globe sounds pretty close to impossible.

So do it for 1000. The 1000 that are most conveniently accessible. Why 120 samples per day? Btw, what happens to the sample after 72 hours... the virus disappears?

 

[NAM001]

this sounds odd to me. i can only assume that whatever protocols were put in place were faulty or not executed properly.

my humble opinion.....if a passenger is required to submit a negative test result "X" number of days prior to boarding, if secondary screening is done while boarding, every crew member provided a negative test and has isolated on board well before any passengers are allowed on, and if social distancing, hand sanitizing, and mask wearing is practiced on board, then how do you get an "out break" ?

some one brings it onboard at time of debarkation and ;has no symptoms until days into the cruise. Masks do not work, and social distancing is not what cruising is about. social distancing kills the ability for cruises to function. to make SD work you have to be confined in your room that has a common ventilation system. think of the mechanics of dining as a lone aspect of cruising. Its just not possible with out building an entire new line of crews ship. Social aspects are the attraction for cruising.

 

[RyanT]

So do it for 1000. The 1000 that are most conveniently accessible. Why 120 samples per day? Btw, what happens to the sample after 72 hours... the virus disappears?

Sorry, I meant 120 samples per person (1 per day). Sampling only 1,000 individuals (500 in each treatment group) will generate less reliable data than being able to sample the entire study population.

No the virus doesn't disappear. The genetic material in the SARS COV-2 virus is RNA. Unlike DNA, RNA is a fragile molecule and degrades quickly when it is biologically inactive. That doesn't mean that its impossible to test for it. It does make it more difficult to detect, however, and that can lead to false negatives. Again, this reduces reliability of the data.

Information for Laboratories about Coronavirus (COVID-19)

 

[NAM001]

Mexico will take any ship that is willing to dock there. The big problem is literally everywhere else cruise ships go. Basically every stop EXCEPT Mexico requires onerous testing and other protocols for entry. The cruise industry is going to need to do a lot of work to figure out how they'll ever be allowed to stop in those places again.

not to forget that the port stopped in has to be clean also. that is not possible either. the only option is to close the port. I think a better way to do it is to not allow any passenger in a health critical demographys. start with the least effected age groups etc and progress to unlimited passengers through time.

Most ports ships pull into are poor countries that rely on tourist dollars. any port that needs greenbacks are probably not the healthiest to begin with.

 

[uncfnp]

Gross negligence.

I am sorry but that is ridiculous. It was the design of the study.