The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) in their latest update on the Carnival Cruise lines Carnival Sunshine norovirus outbreak on Mar. 4 put the number of cases at 178 passengers and crew.
This number may be adjusted in a future update and according to passengers on board the ship, the current number reported is likely artificially low. In addition, some say a respiratory illness was also ever present during the voyage.
In comments on Outbreak News Today from passengers on the above voyage, they offer some additional perspective and details of what was happening:
One passenger wrote: I was on that cruise. I had norovirus symptoms and my wife also, My wife was bed ridden with the norovirus for 2 days. The triage nurse refused to list us as norovirus victims and even to confirm that was what my wife had or treat my wife for her fever that she had. We are not in that count listed by the CDC.
Another passenger was the first to comment on a respiratory illness: We were on that cruise also. There was also a respiratory illness going around the ship too. People coughing all over everyone. My husband started 4 days before we arrived back to port Canaveral . He went to walk in clinic once we came home that day 101 fever and a upper respiratory illness. On antibiotics now.
Finally, one passenger says a fellow ill passenger left the infirmary because he didn’t want to wait: We were on the ship as well. Completely odd about Carnival “not” reporting it. When you walked into the infirmary there was a CDC form that was mandatory to fill out regardless if you had stomach or respiratory illness. My husband had it, we spent an hour in the infirmary and each and every passenger and crew member was given the CDC form to fill out. I do believe the CDC count is low as we witnessed one passenger actually leave who had symptoms because he did not want to wait to be seen. Hence, the count could be low because people chose not to self report to the infirmary. My husband was quarantined to his room, rightfully so, but that gentleman we can only assume went about his normal activities spreading germs about the ship. I was fortunate and did not catch the norovirus.
The last commenter confirmed the previous person’s observation of a respiratory illness on board the ship.
Related:
We were a party of 3 couples and 5 of 6 of us got various respiratory conditions. From mild to rough. Lots of coughing and sneezing going on. Carnival and crew did their best but many selfish passengers didn’t confine themselves, bypassed wash stations, don’t cover them mouths and refused to follow instructions. Stuff happens…just deal with it.
I was on the Sunshine and my wife developed a bad cough.The infirmary was packed when she went and they sold her Daycare and Nyquil. Needless to say it didn’t work. I agree the count is probably higher. A couple we traveled with had the virus and didn’t report it. They stayed in their cabin for 2 days.
Two days in my husband developed a bad cough. Even with aspirin and cough expectorant it just persistent all through the 13 days getting worse. Sounding like a barking dog like so many other passengers. Then two days before we are due to get off the ship I came down within virus. The Dr. Would see no one unless you paid 468.00 dollars no health insurance was accepted. If you were vomiting they finally saw you for free and put you in quarantine and on special diet. But not for the prolonged cough and congestion. As you walled the ship and passed rooms it sounded like everyone was coughing up a lung.
I was on the Sunshine and my wife developed a bad cough.The infirmary was packed when she went and they sold her Daycare and Nyquil. Needless to say it didn’t work. I agree the count is probably higher. A couple we traveled with had the virus and didn’t report it. They stayed in their cabin for 2 days.
I was aSunshine passenger who came home with the virus symptoms. I find it insensitive on the part of Carnival to charge for doctor visits and for OTC products . Another example of making money at the expense of it’s clients.
Thank you.
My husband started with the cough on about day 8, we went down and they gave him cough syrup which didn’t work. On Friday they admitted him into the infirmary and kept him until the ambulance picked us up @ 6: Saturday morning. He was brought to hospital and admitted to ICU. He is still in the hospital. 3/9