From COVID to gastro, why are cruise ships such hotbeds of infection?
The ConversationNov 14, 2023
Cruise Ship Finally Docks in Mauritius After Cholera Scare
The Facts
The East African island of Mauritius granted clearance for the Norwegian Dawn cruise ship to dock at the capital Port Louis on Monday, following an onboard cholera scare. The ship arrived in Mauritius on Saturday a day early after the island of La Réunion turned it away.
Initially, the ship housing 3,210 passengers and crew members was denied access to the port over "potential health risks" after at least 15 passengers fell ill. They were placed in isolation while samples were taken and tested to determine the pathogen causing the illness.
The Spin
Narrative A
Historically, ships that transport people have served as hotbeds for infectious diseases. Even troop transport ships were found to have been the disease highway for spreading the Spanish Flu of 1918. On ships, people from all over the globe tend to crowd together in theaters, pools, lines, and buffets where illness can spread at high rates. As long as cruise ships serve as a popular vacation option, the risk of contracting and spreading illness will remain high.
Narrative B
Since the onset of COVID, cruise companies have worked diligently to ensure that passenger safety is their top priority. Slow operations during the pandemic allowed cruises to focus their efforts on innovative solutions that guarantee passengers fun and excitement but also guarantee a safe journey. It's difficult to ensure health and safety without reducing freedom and enjoyment, but the cruise lines have excelled and as the world opened up so did more opportunities for vacationers.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that the global annual death rate (per 100K people) from infectious disease in 2025 will be at least 102, according to the Metaculus prediction community.