The U.S. Navy, which houses many men and women in close quarters while at sea, is very effective at keeping Norovirus and other intestinal viruses from spreading.
How Do They Do It?
Constant, every day cleaning.
Read more here at a special CNN report: How The Navy Avoids Norovirus
Norovirus on Your Cruise Ship – What You Need To Know
Avoiding Norovirus or other stomach bugs on a cruise ship is not that simple. Once the virus starts spreading you may not even notice. Public areas on the ship are easily infected and the virus can spread quickly.
If the crew of your cruise line determines the cause quickly enough, they can take measures to limit the spread of the Norovirus and do a thorough cleaning. In incidences where the cruise line does not take proper measures or is negligible in their actions, the cruise line may be legally to blame for the spread of the virus.
Mostly however, getting sick on a cruise is not a basis for filing a claim. If however the sickness is serious enough or leads to other medical complications AND there is underlying reasoning that proper steps were not taken by the medical crew, cleaning crew or other decision makers on board the vessel, you may have reason to speak with a cruise ship injury attorney. They can help you better understand your passenger rights and outline a plan of action if necessary.
Here’s more information from CNN about the Norovirus (below).
What are the Norovirus symptoms?
“Norovirus causes inflammation in the stomach and intestines, leading to stomach pain, nausea and diarrhea. These symptoms typically last one to three days. Other symptoms include a fever, headache and body aches, according to the CDC.
Frequent diarrhea and vomiting can lead to dehydration, another serious side effect of the virus. People who are dehydrated may not urinate as much, feel dizzy and have a dry mouth or throat.” **from CNN
When does it become really dangerous?
Most people will recover fully from norovirus, but it can become serious or even fatal in some patients, such as infants or the elderly.
Norovirus can be caught any time, but it’s most common in the winter. Each year, the virus leads to approximately 1.8 million doctor visits and 400,000 emergency room visits; most of these patients are children.
“Young children and the elderly are more likely to be seriously affected by norovirus. An estimated 570 to 800 deaths are caused by the virus each year, though there are generally more in yearswhen a new strain is going around. This happened in the winters of 2002-03 and 2006-07, according to the CDC.” **from CNN
Have Questions for a Cruise Ship Personal Injury Attorney?
Concerned about Norovirus and it’s affect on your health after you disembarked from your cruise? We’d enjoy speaking to you. Don’t let your questions go unanswered.
How can we help? Call us at 800-905-2891.
