(Dan Tri) – More than 3,000 passengers on two cruise ships infected with coronavirus are spreading to more than 40 countries and spreading fear about the risk of spreading the deadly disease.
Diamond Princess cruise ship docked at Yokohama port, Japan.
On February 17, the United States announced that it would begin evacuating citizens from the Diamond Princess cruise ship off the coast of Yokohama, Japan.
Canada, Hong Kong and other countries also made similar plans to evacuate hundreds of citizens.
On February 15, an 83-year-old American citizen tested positive for the COVID-19 virus in Malaysia, a day after this woman and more than 2,200 others were disembarked from the Westerdam cruise ship in Cambodia.
“This woman was on the ship and had the virus for several days.
“There is a possibility that anyone infected with the virus and incubating it could start a chain of infection wherever they return,” Professor Deresinski added.
The alarming number of passengers infected with the corona virus on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, accounting for the largest proportion of virus infections outside of China, and the newly discovered case of virus infection on the Westerdam cruise ship have raised concerns.
This concern has caused more and more Asian countries to prevent luxury ships from importing, thereby threatening the revenue of cruise operators such as Carnival or Royal Caribbean Cruises.
`Cruise ships have a very high risk of disease transmission,` said professor Jean-Paul Rodrigue at Hofstra University in New York.
`People move back and forth, use the same hallways, touch the same handles and railings, so it’s very easy to get infected,` said Professor Rodrigue.
The Westerdam cruise ship spent 2 weeks floating at sea before receiving permission from Cambodia to dock on February 13.
Malaysia then announced that it would not allow any passengers on the Westerdam cruise ship to transit through the country.
Passengers are happy to disembark the Westerdam in Cambodia.
Medical experts also sounded the alarm about the case of the Westerdam cruise ship after 1,454 passengers and 802 crew members on board were allowed to leave without being quarantined, just as the total number of cases
Most countries that are planning to evacuate citizens from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan have also announced plans to quarantine these people after they are brought home.
According to Professor Deresinski and other medical experts, passengers on the Westerdam cruise ship must at least be monitored by local health officials and they must also self-isolate.
`It doesn’t take long exposure to get infected,` said Professor Deresinski.
The incubation period of the coronavirus is about two weeks, nearly equal to the total time the Westerdam cruise ship was at sea after leaving Hong Kong on February 1 and becoming an unwelcome ship.
Knowing when American citizens became infected with the coronavirus on the Westerdam and from whom is key to determining the risk of others also being infected with the virus.
“I do not yet have enough information about the patients to know whether it is possible that they were infected before boarding the ship and had a long incubation period.
Meanwhile, a US State Department spokesperson said the country does not have enough evidence to determine when or where the woman on the Westerdam was infected.
The woman was free to leave Cambodia after filling out a health questionnaire and undergoing a temperature check.
The strict quarantine measures applied to the Diamond Princess cruise ship also did not reduce the number of virus infections while the ship was still being kept in Japan.
Passengers who are US citizens will be quarantined for an additional 14 days after being evacuated.
Meanwhile, more than 600 Americans on the Westerdam cruise ship are on their way home.
Mr. V. Padmanabha Rao, 81 years old, and his 20-year-old nephew are still waiting for information about when they can leave the Westerdam.
Mr. Rao and the remaining passengers on the Westerdam were talking about the passengers being evacuated from the Diamond Princess.
Mr. Rao, a retired surgeon, and his nephew plan to voluntarily quarantine themselves at home for 14 days after returning home.
“I don’t want to endanger my neighbors, family and friends.
Success
According to SCMP
Nick John