October 15, Global Handwashing Day
The 2016 Global Handwashing Day theme is “Make Handwashing a Habit!”
Global Handwashing Day is an annual global advocacy day dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding about the importance of handwashing with soap as an easy, effective, and affordable way to prevent diseases and save lives.
Source: Global Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing
Cruise Ships & Norovirus ...Tis the Season
You've heard the stories in the news about cruise ships delayed due to the need to have a
deep clean following an up tick in the gastrointestinal illness, known
as Norovirus. Perhaps news stories like that are preventing you from enjoying a cruise vacation.
Who is to Blame When Norovirus Hits?
The first inclination when you hear about an outbreak would be to blame the cruise line. Clearly, they have let you down - you expected a healthy cruise, and you got sick. In fact there's a group of passengers that were on sister cruise line's Independence of the Seas that are suing Royal Caribbean International for £500,000 after contracting norovirus while onboard the ship.
The cruise line is responsible - right?
The cruise line IS responsible for cleaning the ship and providing the facilities for passengers and crew to maintain proper hygiene onboard the ship. They do that - you'll notice signs posted in all the rest rooms and crew members pointing out sanitation machines, such as the one in the picture above posted outside the restaurant entrance.
But, ladies and gentleman - I suspect that YOU are to BLAME. Did you stop to wash your hands after using the bathroom? Did you sanitize your hands every time you entered a restaurant onboard the ship. Did you do so all but one time? That one time would be enough to kick off this sort of outbreak.
During recent cruises on Disney Dream and Carnival Sensation, we noticed the sanitizing materials and signs. Sadly, we also noticed many passengers disregarding the signs and avoiding the sanitizing of their hands before entering the restaurant.
Working together, the cruise lines and passengers could Prevent Norovirus!
USEFUL LINKS ABOUT NOROVIRUS
Facts About Noroviruses on Cruise Ships - gastrointestinal (GI) illnesses can be prevented
Wash hands often. Wash
hands after using the bathroom or changing diapers and before eating
or preparing food. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer along with hand
washing.
Norovirus outbreaks, when they occur on a cruise ship, always make the news. The truth is these outbreaks can occur anywhere there are groups of people in a small area such as nursing homes, restaurants, catered events, hotels, and cruise ships.
Vessel Sanitation Program - prevention and control of spread of gastrointestinal (GI) illnesses on cruise ships
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