I was at my parents’ house today, when my mom told me that her aunt had died.
My mother’s relatives all live in other states, and honestly I’m not very close to any of them except for my uncles and aunts (my mother’s brothers and their wives). In fact, I don’t think I ever met my great aunt.
Still, tell me if this isn’t scary:
She was on a cruise in the Carribean, and she caught that Norwalk virus that’s been going around cruise ships recently. It was bad enough that they took her off the boat in Jamaica, and she spent 10 days in a hospital there. Eventually, her children (my mother’s cousins) decided to bring her back to the U.S. for further treatment. She died en route.
Granted, she was old and (according to mom) quite frail, but I’ve never heard of this disease killing anybody. I thought that it just gave you a bad case of the shits and ruined your vacation. Has anybody heard anything about Norwalk-related fatalities? I have to wonder if the cruise ship companies are supressing the extend of the problem.
Sorry about your great aunt. According to these folks, the fatality rate for the Norwalk virus is only 1 in 100,000. So, it’s pretty rare, but not impossible.
I’m so sorry for your family’s loss.
My prayers are with them, and with you.
Much Love,
Cheri
Yes, even the most seemingly innocuous virus can indeed kill a person – especially a frail person. For instance, chicken pox will kill a handful of people each year. It’s rare, but it happens.
That is the controvery with the new Smallpox vaccine that is in the works. There will be some people who will die from it. The question is whether the potential gain outweighs the risk.
I’m so sorry about your loss. It’s tough to lose someone, especially when you wouldn’t have expected that the condition would be that serious.
It’s important to note that as far as anyone can tell, these are not “sick ships” - the virus doesn’t seem to be staying around the ships after the decontamination. Rather, a sick passenger goes on a cruise and the virus spreads; you’ve got hundreds of people cooped up together in a relatively small environment, so it’s bound to infect others.
Terribly sorry about your family’s loss.
The Norwalk virus spent a few weeks wreaking havoc in Toronto hospitals. Staff and patients were becoming so ill they had to shut down some ERs. Three of my co-workers became ill with Norwalk – it’s actually quite a bit more miserable than just “a bad case of the shits.” One co-worker was hospitalised because she had become so extremely dehydrated from perpetually puking. We’re talking someone who is strong, in her early 20s and otherwise healthy.
The virus packs a quite a whallop!
Terribly sorry for your troubles. I am currently recovering from Cruise Ship Virus (x-mas cruise on the Amsterdam). While it laid me quite low for a while, I am slowly getting better. Norwalk takes quite a bit out of you. I am a healthy 33 year old, and today was the first day in a week that I actually managed to get dressed.
Much love and sympathy to you and yours in this difficult time.