'Likely to spread more rapidly than on land'
Concerns about a potential infection among thousands of passengers at sea exposes the vulnerability of cruise ships to viral illnesses, like the coronavirus. "Outbreaks of respiratory transmitted infections, especially Norovirus and influenza, occur quite often on cruise ships," Paul Hunter, professor in Medicine at the UK's University of East Anglia, said in statement. "Cruise passengers are often older than average and spend a lot of time indoors with other people who may have come from all over the world. "If a passenger has the 2019 nCoV [as this coronavirus is officially known] then it is likely to spread more rapidly than on land and, given the relatively high age of many passengers, the probability of more severe disease is high in those affected," he added. The threat also raises questions about the durability of Asia's booming leisure cruise industry, which counts the elderly as among its most loyal customers.Life in quarantine
Spencer Fehrenbacher, who is also on board the Diamond Princess, said an announcement told passengers that the ship was working with Japanese health authorities to "provide masks for everyone on board in order to allow a certain number of guests to have access to the open air decks outside of their cabins." Passengers have stayed in their rooms, Fehrenbacher told CNN, adding that food and drinks are being served by crew members.DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
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