My friend is leaving on a Carnival Cruise next week. She and her husband are celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary and decided to take advantage of the deep discounts Carnival was offering this month. Unfortunately, it seems I am more excited about her trip than she is. As hard as I have tried I haven’t been able to calm my friend’s fear about contracting the norovirus while cruising the high seas.
If you haven’t been watching the news recently, then you may not be aware of the fact that there was an apparent outbreak of the highly-contagious flu-like illness on Carnival Cruise Lines’ largest passenger ship Liberty. If it were up to my friend she and her husband would be spending a quiet weekend up north at a luxury resort. But, her hubby has been looking forward to this cruise for weeks so they are going—-norovirus risk or not.
Norovirus is also known as the “24-hour flu” since it normally lasts only one or two days. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the most common symptoms are vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramping. And, while the illness is highly contagious, experts say there are a number of ways you can protect yourself from getting the viral infection while on a cruise. First and foremost—-wash your hands.
Doctors say the reason the norovirus is able to make its way around a cruise ship so quickly is that it is spread by contacting contaminated surfaces. A passenger might cover his mouth when sneezing, but if he grabs hold of the handrail while walking down the steps to the all-you-can-eat buffet the next person who touches the rail is at an increased risk of becoming infected with the virus.
To help reduce your risk of contracting a viral infection on your cruise health experts recommend you do the following:
Wash your hands often. For example, before and after eating; after using the bathroom and changing diapers; and after touching high-hand contact surfaces like doorknobs or railings. It also doesn’t hurt to supplement your hand washing routine with anti-bacterial wipes or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer such as Purell.
Having a healthy immune system will also go a long way to protect you against infections and it enhances your body’s ability to fight a virus if you do become infected. To keep your immune system strong you should:
Get plenty of rest. It may be tempting to stay out all day on a shore excursion and party all night in one of the ship’s many onboard nightclubs, but doing so will interfere with getting adequate sleep and thus compromise your immune system.
Eat right. Make at least one trip to the fruit and salad bar each day.
Go easy on the caffeine. Overindulging on caffeine can decrease your body’s ability to fight infection.
Avoid too much sun. Studies have shown that overexposure to the sun is linked to decreased efficiency of the immune system.
Exercise. Cruises are meant to be havens for rest and relaxation, but that doesn’t mean you have the right to be a slug for 5 days and 4 nights. If the pool is located five decks from your cabin–take the stairs.
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