Preventing Norovirus Infection While Traveling on a Cruise

The Royal Caribbean cruise ship Explorer of the Seas, returned home today to Bayonne, New Jersey.  Nearly 700 crew members and passengers fell ill. It was the largest case of sick people reported on any cruise ship in 2 decades.  It is important to note that Norovirus is not exclusive to cruise ships. With more and more cruise ships outbreaks in recent years, awareness of Norovirus has increased, but before you reconsider a cruise vacation because of all of the news reports, there are some things you should know.

Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes gastroenteritis, but it does not limit itself to cruise ships. It is almost as common as a cold, with over 22 million cases reported annually by the CDC. Many times it is called a stomach flu or food poisoning. Norovirus spreads quickly whenever large amounts of people are contained in an area, such as an office building, restaurant, school or cruise ship. It is spread from person to person through contaminated food or water, or by touching contaminated surfaces. Why don’t we hear about it in hotels or other areas? Well they are not required to report outbreaks like cruise ships are.

Symptoms are unpleasant, and can include vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pains. Symptoms usually last about 48 hours, and there is not a whole lot you can take for it to feel better. Milk of Magnesia and Kaopectate have offered relief for some, so pack some on your next trip.

How can you avoid coming into contact with the Norovirus? Wash your hands regularly. Hand sanitizers are better than nothing, but should not take the place of washing your hands, particularly before meals. Avoid hand rails and commonly touched surfaces. When you can’t avoid touching things like elevator buttons or doors, then once again make sure and wash your hands before touching your face or eating. Stop and think. If you just touched a menu or the sides of your chair that others have clearly touched, wash your hands. Be aware of all surfaces you come into contact with. Try to avoid using the public bathrooms if you can make it back to your cabin. You can also bring along travel packs of disinfectant wipes that you can keep in your pockets. It’s not a bad idea to take a travel size bottle of Lysol in your suitcase as well so you can disinfect your cabin.

This doesn’t just apply to cruise ships.  We have posted blogs in the past on how germ infested airline armrests and tray tables are, so make sure you wipe those down as well.   In hotels wipe off TV remotes, on and off switches, as well as the telephone. In restaurants once you have gone through a menu or signed for the check, make sure and wash your hands before touching any food.  Carry around your own pen so you don’t have to borrow one.

Don’t let Norovirus keep you from vacationing, as you are just as likely to get sick at a local restaurant. Just put into practice a little extra hygiene and you should be able to avoid illness wherever you travel.

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