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Ooops, sorry - I was referring to the ban on pork, which is worthless. I edited my post, TY!
The Swine Flu thing...
- Thread starter MGW1979
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Sorry for missing your point. Exposed passengers seated near suspect will be isolated too, but vectors will not. I believe No 100% protections.
Don - you just don't understand the value of hysteria.
Hysteria is a goldmine for the media, thus, the coverage and the multi-furrowed brows of the commentators who lament every sneeze. Every day about 100 people in the US die of the flu, the old strains, and I'm sure it's no different across the world. This is just a new and, maybe, improved strain. We'll get over it and until then the media will sell their concerned stories on pandemics and other prophicies of doom and by August this will be old news. Remember the oldest saying in the news business - "If it bleeds it leads". It leads because it sells and the market for pandemic stories that sell is good right now. What is a shame is that many people are canceling their vacation travel over this while they are just as vulnerable at home.
CozumelAntonio
Contributor
I wish more people would put things in the proper perspective:
History Says Avoid Virus Hysteria - MSN Health & Fitness - Health Topics
History Says Avoid Virus Hysteria
Let the public health experts freak out about swine flu. The rest of us should relax.
By David Whelan, Forbes.com
In April 2003, the world seemed on the brink of a killer pandemic.
After simmering for months in Guangdong, China, the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus had exploded in Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore, Canada, the U.S. and 14 other countries. It had a seriously scary fatality rate of 10 percent.
But as quickly as it came, it just as quickly faded away. The virus turned out not to be as contagious as feared. To date, the World Health Organization estimates that 774 people died from SARS. Most of the deaths occurred in Hong Kong and other areas in Southern China--where officials let the outbreak fester too long without taking steps to contain it.
Here in the U.S. there were only eight reported SARS cases, all nonfatal.
SARS was scary, for sure. But it affected only a specific region. And the deaths were mostly to blame on incompetent public health officials.
This history is something to keep in mind in the coming weeks as the swine flu outbreak, which is suspected of causing more than 100 deaths in Mexico, unfolds. While there have been a small number of cases in the United States, almost all of them have been mild, and there have been no deaths. And it is not clear whether there ever will be a significant number of deaths.
Hysteria and exotic-sounding disease outbreaks go hand in hand. Whether it's anthrax, mad cow disease, foot-and-mouth disease, bird flu or, going back to the 1990s, ebolaÍÏews of an outbreak generates fear that's disproportionate to the risk of catching the disease. In each of these cases deaths, if they occurred at all, were minimal.
During the SARS episode, the U.S. quickly cranked itself into full freakout mode. Each of the eight U.S. patients who contracted SARS had picked up the disease in Asia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Yet travelers donned face masks no matter where they were flying. Pedestrians in U.S. cities followed suit. Families canceled vacations. Shoppers and diners avoided Chinatowns and Chinese restaurants like they were leper colonies. Companies scaled back their business in Asia, and then blamed bad financial results on SARS.
Cable news channels and other media sensationalized the outbreak as if it were a Hollywood movieÍÂ real-life sequel to Dustin Hoffman's 1995 hit Outbreak. A medical historian at the University of Toronto, Edward Shorter, watched what was going on and called the phenomenon "mass psychosis."
Meanwhile, that year--and in every year this decadeÍÃetween 30,000 and 50,000 American deaths were recorded from complications related to the seasonal flu. Another 40,000 people died in automobile accidents. And each year, gunshot wounds account for 30,000 deaths, around 4,000 people drown while swimming or boating and 60 people die from lightning strikes.
"The public is driven by irrational fears. They didn't go to medical school," says Shorter. "They're responding to an abdication of leadership by political leaders."
So far, the U.S. has responded to the swine flu with restraint. President Obama said the problem is a "cause for concern" and "not a cause for alarm." And the declaration of a public health emergency is not quite as scary as it sounds. It is an important precautionary measure, like declaring a state of emergency in Florida because a hurricane may or may not hit. But Russia banned pork imports from Mexico. And Hong Kong has said it won't accept flights from Mexico. "That's irrational, except to whip up public sentiment against the Mexicans," Shorter says.
The American publicÍÂnd the news mediaÍØas captivated for an entire weekend by the prospect of a swine flu crossing our border. Is it the beginning of the next pandemic? Will the U.S. State Department ban travel to Mexico? Will the border be sealed? Will San Diego be next?
Let the public health officials make these decisions, Shorter recommends. No matter how virulent an outbreak seems at the beginning, public health departments will react aggressively. That's their jobÍÃetter safe than sorryÍÂnd that's how epidemics are contained. But everyone else should learn to relax.
History Says Avoid Virus Hysteria - MSN Health & Fitness - Health Topics
History Says Avoid Virus Hysteria
Let the public health experts freak out about swine flu. The rest of us should relax.
By David Whelan, Forbes.com
In April 2003, the world seemed on the brink of a killer pandemic.
After simmering for months in Guangdong, China, the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus had exploded in Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore, Canada, the U.S. and 14 other countries. It had a seriously scary fatality rate of 10 percent.
But as quickly as it came, it just as quickly faded away. The virus turned out not to be as contagious as feared. To date, the World Health Organization estimates that 774 people died from SARS. Most of the deaths occurred in Hong Kong and other areas in Southern China--where officials let the outbreak fester too long without taking steps to contain it.
Here in the U.S. there were only eight reported SARS cases, all nonfatal.
SARS was scary, for sure. But it affected only a specific region. And the deaths were mostly to blame on incompetent public health officials.
This history is something to keep in mind in the coming weeks as the swine flu outbreak, which is suspected of causing more than 100 deaths in Mexico, unfolds. While there have been a small number of cases in the United States, almost all of them have been mild, and there have been no deaths. And it is not clear whether there ever will be a significant number of deaths.
Hysteria and exotic-sounding disease outbreaks go hand in hand. Whether it's anthrax, mad cow disease, foot-and-mouth disease, bird flu or, going back to the 1990s, ebolaÍÏews of an outbreak generates fear that's disproportionate to the risk of catching the disease. In each of these cases deaths, if they occurred at all, were minimal.
During the SARS episode, the U.S. quickly cranked itself into full freakout mode. Each of the eight U.S. patients who contracted SARS had picked up the disease in Asia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Yet travelers donned face masks no matter where they were flying. Pedestrians in U.S. cities followed suit. Families canceled vacations. Shoppers and diners avoided Chinatowns and Chinese restaurants like they were leper colonies. Companies scaled back their business in Asia, and then blamed bad financial results on SARS.
Cable news channels and other media sensationalized the outbreak as if it were a Hollywood movieÍÂ real-life sequel to Dustin Hoffman's 1995 hit Outbreak. A medical historian at the University of Toronto, Edward Shorter, watched what was going on and called the phenomenon "mass psychosis."
Meanwhile, that year--and in every year this decadeÍÃetween 30,000 and 50,000 American deaths were recorded from complications related to the seasonal flu. Another 40,000 people died in automobile accidents. And each year, gunshot wounds account for 30,000 deaths, around 4,000 people drown while swimming or boating and 60 people die from lightning strikes.
"The public is driven by irrational fears. They didn't go to medical school," says Shorter. "They're responding to an abdication of leadership by political leaders."
So far, the U.S. has responded to the swine flu with restraint. President Obama said the problem is a "cause for concern" and "not a cause for alarm." And the declaration of a public health emergency is not quite as scary as it sounds. It is an important precautionary measure, like declaring a state of emergency in Florida because a hurricane may or may not hit. But Russia banned pork imports from Mexico. And Hong Kong has said it won't accept flights from Mexico. "That's irrational, except to whip up public sentiment against the Mexicans," Shorter says.
The American publicÍÂnd the news mediaÍØas captivated for an entire weekend by the prospect of a swine flu crossing our border. Is it the beginning of the next pandemic? Will the U.S. State Department ban travel to Mexico? Will the border be sealed? Will San Diego be next?
Let the public health officials make these decisions, Shorter recommends. No matter how virulent an outbreak seems at the beginning, public health departments will react aggressively. That's their jobÍÃetter safe than sorryÍÂnd that's how epidemics are contained. But everyone else should learn to relax.
PNW Dive Girl
Contributor
Well, it now looks as though 3 cruise lines have cancelled stops in Mexico. They are Carnival, Princess and Holand America. I'm looking for a source to post.
PNW Dive Girl
Contributor
Ah, Found one: (this from Princess's website) I've heard that Carnival has cancelled Cozumel.
News Article
4/28/2009
Princess Cruises Swine Flu Statement
10:30 am PDT
The health and well being of our passengers and crew is our foremost priority, and therefore we are monitoring the swine flu situation closely.
Our ships and medical staff are already well equipped to prevent and contain the spread of contagious diseases, including swine flu. Even though the risk of contracting this illness is very low, we will be taking extra precautions, and will be guided by advice from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Six Princess ships are currently scheduled for calls in Mexican ports through next month. In light of yesterday's CDC's travel health warning for Mexico, we have cancelled the two calls scheduled for Mexican ports today -- Puerto Vallarta (Sapphire Princess) and Cabo San Lucas (Coral Princess). Further, we have revised the itinerary for Sapphire Princess, replacing the Mexican ports with San Diego and Catalina. We hope that our passengers will understand that these changes were beyond our control and that we have provided them with an attractive, alternative itinerary.
We are in the process of reviewing the other close-in sailings that include Mexican ports and making itinerary changes, and these details will be communicated by tomorrow.
In the meantime, some of the actions we are taking onboard all of our ships include: We are enhancing our screening practices for passengers and crew embarking our ships.
We are adhering to CDC guidelines for reporting and treatment of persons with suspect swine flu.
We will isolate and treat passengers and crew with suspect swine flu. Anti-viral medications that effectively treat the swine flu are currently available onboard all Princess ships.
We will continue our rigorous cleaning and sanitization of our ships to minimize the spread of any contagious disease. Our ships are routinely cleaned with a disinfectant proven to be highly effective against the flu.
We are communicating to our passengers and crew that they should take extra care to practice healthy habits such as washing their hands often.
We are asking passengers and crew to report to the medical center immediately if they exhibit any symptoms of flu.
We will continue to closely monitor the situation and will do everything possible to protect the health of our passengers and crew.
For US passenger inquiries, contact 1-800-PRINCESS. For UK passenger queries, contact Reservations on 0845 3 555 800
News Article
4/28/2009
Princess Cruises Swine Flu Statement
10:30 am PDT
The health and well being of our passengers and crew is our foremost priority, and therefore we are monitoring the swine flu situation closely.
Our ships and medical staff are already well equipped to prevent and contain the spread of contagious diseases, including swine flu. Even though the risk of contracting this illness is very low, we will be taking extra precautions, and will be guided by advice from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Six Princess ships are currently scheduled for calls in Mexican ports through next month. In light of yesterday's CDC's travel health warning for Mexico, we have cancelled the two calls scheduled for Mexican ports today -- Puerto Vallarta (Sapphire Princess) and Cabo San Lucas (Coral Princess). Further, we have revised the itinerary for Sapphire Princess, replacing the Mexican ports with San Diego and Catalina. We hope that our passengers will understand that these changes were beyond our control and that we have provided them with an attractive, alternative itinerary.
We are in the process of reviewing the other close-in sailings that include Mexican ports and making itinerary changes, and these details will be communicated by tomorrow.
In the meantime, some of the actions we are taking onboard all of our ships include: We are enhancing our screening practices for passengers and crew embarking our ships.
We are adhering to CDC guidelines for reporting and treatment of persons with suspect swine flu.
We will isolate and treat passengers and crew with suspect swine flu. Anti-viral medications that effectively treat the swine flu are currently available onboard all Princess ships.
We will continue our rigorous cleaning and sanitization of our ships to minimize the spread of any contagious disease. Our ships are routinely cleaned with a disinfectant proven to be highly effective against the flu.
We are communicating to our passengers and crew that they should take extra care to practice healthy habits such as washing their hands often.
We are asking passengers and crew to report to the medical center immediately if they exhibit any symptoms of flu.
We will continue to closely monitor the situation and will do everything possible to protect the health of our passengers and crew.
For US passenger inquiries, contact 1-800-PRINCESS. For UK passenger queries, contact Reservations on 0845 3 555 800
1KWIK_69
Contributor
I'm here at El Cantil, there should have been 2 ships in today, but there were none. I wish I could say I'm unhappy about that. It is a concern for those that make their living off of the cruisers, but is sure is nice for those of us that don't miss the crowds and drunkards.
When we arrived on Sunday and shopped at the Mega, there was no indication of concern, last night all the Mega employees were wearing facemasks, which is little more than a sign that corporate is aware there is something going on.
Put me in the camp that thinks this is a tempest in a teapot. They're saying the best thing to do is wash your hands, cover your mouth with your elbow when you cough, be mindful of how you pick your nose, etc. How is that much different than what our mothers taught us?
At the Mega last night there was a group of teenage tourist kids at the pizza counter, one of the girls had hopped up and was sitting on the counter next to the cash register. WTH? I went up and asked her if she was REALLY sitting on the counter where I am going to purchase my food, she said "yep, you got a problem with that?" I replied "yep, I kind of do...." I could feel her stupid male friends turn and look at me, and then look up to me at 6'5" 260#. She jumped down right away and made some snide comment about how I must feel better now. How is it that people think doing that type of thing is OK? Is it just that they're in Mexico and seem to think that it is a 2nd rate country that should be honored that they came here? I seriously considered ripping them all a new orifice, but figured an American staffed scene would be counterproductive. I wish there was a way to slap parents that raised kids like this.
Anyhoo, now back to our regularly programmed hysteria...
When we arrived on Sunday and shopped at the Mega, there was no indication of concern, last night all the Mega employees were wearing facemasks, which is little more than a sign that corporate is aware there is something going on.
Put me in the camp that thinks this is a tempest in a teapot. They're saying the best thing to do is wash your hands, cover your mouth with your elbow when you cough, be mindful of how you pick your nose, etc. How is that much different than what our mothers taught us?
At the Mega last night there was a group of teenage tourist kids at the pizza counter, one of the girls had hopped up and was sitting on the counter next to the cash register. WTH? I went up and asked her if she was REALLY sitting on the counter where I am going to purchase my food, she said "yep, you got a problem with that?" I replied "yep, I kind of do...." I could feel her stupid male friends turn and look at me, and then look up to me at 6'5" 260#. She jumped down right away and made some snide comment about how I must feel better now. How is it that people think doing that type of thing is OK? Is it just that they're in Mexico and seem to think that it is a 2nd rate country that should be honored that they came here? I seriously considered ripping them all a new orifice, but figured an American staffed scene would be counterproductive. I wish there was a way to slap parents that raised kids like this.
Anyhoo, now back to our regularly programmed hysteria...
don Francisco
Contributor
While there's lots of news and the concern is real, the reality is that Mexico's documented cases are a long way from Cozumel. The related cases occuring in the USA seem milder, either because of faster response and better treatment in the USA, or because there are variant strains of the virus.
In any case, you're far more likely to pick up a virus connecting at a US (or any) airport than you are while in Cozumel.
I just got back from Coz, and my wife is still there. Hopefully she won't pick something up in Houston when she returns next week. If the news gets much worse, I might suggest she stay there a while longer just to be on the safe side.
In any case, you're far more likely to pick up a virus connecting at a US (or any) airport than you are while in Cozumel.
I just got back from Coz, and my wife is still there. Hopefully she won't pick something up in Houston when she returns next week. If the news gets much worse, I might suggest she stay there a while longer just to be on the safe side.
Carnival Corp owns Carnival, Holland America, Princess, Cunard, Seabourn and Costa. If one of the Carnival Corp lines is canceling port calls then it's likely they all will.
In the cruise industry sources that I get I haven't seen mention yet of any changes to itineraries calling in the Mexican Caribbean (Cozumel, Playa, Costa Maya), just the Pacific ports. That could of course change by the end of business today based on the news they receive from the CDC and WHO. Cruise lines have an advantage over airlines and resorts in these situations - they can move their product and needed. If they start getting cancellations and questions from booked passengers and they feel that temporary changes will save the bookings then regardless of "official" government word, they would most likely make temporary changes.
I really feel for accommodations and local businesses in Cozumel and the Riviera Maya. The US economy, the whole drug violence thing blown out of proportion and now this. If my current circumstance were different I'd be booking a trip to Cozumel in short order.
This was published today on an industry news site.
Several ships skip Mexico, lines mull changes
28/4/2009
US and UK health authorities recommendations against non-essential travel to Mexico due to the threat of swine flu are now sparking a trickle of itinerary changes that may increase as the day goes by.
Three Carnival Cruise Lines ships dropped calls at Mexican ports today. Holland America Line is skipping RyndamÃÔ call at MazatláÏ.
In making its decision last night, HAL cited the uncertainty about to what extent the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention intended the heightened alert to apply to cruises, particularly those already in progress.
The line said it would advise soon regarding the remaining port calls on ships cruising to Mexico.
Carnival, similarly, is reviewing the implications of the heightened alert and said it will provide an update on itinerary plans by 5 p.m. at Carnival Cruise Lines: cruise ship vacations, cruise deals.
As earlier reported, Fred. Olsen is dropping a scheduled two-day call at Balmoral next week.
Lines are not answering questions about cancellations related to swine flu.
Walter Littlejohn, president of Chartwell Vacations in Rutherford, N.J., said his company has registered a close to 32% cancellation/rebook rate on all-inclusive Mexico land packages, but no cruise cancellations so far.
However, some customers have said they will not consider a cruise that goes to Mexico, he added.
Now, with the alert against non-essential travel, retailers likely will not be recommending Western Caribbean cruises or land packages for liability issues, Littlejohn told Seatrade Insider.
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