Concern about Cruise Ship (day care, school, train)

[raggy]

Is NJ going to suffer a widespread outbreak of norovirus now that more than 600 recently recovered or still ill people have entered the state? Articles say that people can remain infections for days after symptoms are gone, and this thing seems to spread really fast. If just a couple of them are food service workers or day care workers, or teachers, there can be quite a few new outbreaks.

[NJhighlands87]

I woudln't worry too much about such things. This is hardly the first, and will not be the last ship with a virus issue.

[JerseyGirl415]

I admit I've thought about this, too. Norovirus is nasty, highly contagious, and IMO it's risky having 600+ sick people plus all those exposed who may not have gotten sick yet or are carriers coming off the ship into NJ, our airport, probably train systems, back into work and school, etc. Bad timing with the Super Bowl this weekend, too.

Chances are somebody brought this onto the ship and it spread like wildfire because as of the last news articles I read, the CDC has not yet found a source on the ship, like food or water that was contaminated and was the cause of the outbreak. They say these things are usually brought on by passengers. I just hope whoever brought it on wasn't showing symptoms yet and didn't knowingly bring a highly contagious and aggressive virus onto the ship with them. I also hope they can properly sanitize the ship so it's clean and virus free for its next voyage leaving Friday. Yuck, all around gross. I feel for everyone involved and those about to board Friday because I'd be scared there's still some virus hanging around on random surfaces, which is entirely possible. Look up norovirus and how easily it spreads and what it's been known to survive on, it's crazy and rather interesting stuff.

I guess time will tell but considering how common norovirus is outside of cruise ships, we could really pick it up anywhere.