For many, the explosion of Coronavirus reports began with information about the Diamond Princess.
What really happened on that cruise ship with COVID-19?
The following explores some of the facts regarding this ship and its emergence into history with the largest number of Coronavirus cases outside of China at that particular time.
Original sail dates: January 20th – February 4th
The trip destinations included Japan, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
Problem was first detected when a passenger who left the ship in Hong Kong, seeking treatment at the hospital, tested positive to the Coronavirus. The ship docked in Hong Kong on January 25th, five days into the historic cruise. (1)
Feb. 3rd – Ship returned to dock at Yokohama, Japan, one day ahead of schedule. (1)
Feb. 4th – Announcement made that 10 people aboard the ship tested positive for SARS-CoV19. (5)
Feb. 5th – 14 day “observation” time began for passengers – similar to a stay-at-home order (5)
Feb. 19 – Non-infected individuals released from the ship (5)
End Feb. – 691 confirmed cases (5)
In total, there were 712 confirmed cases. (2) Total passengers on the ship 3711. (3)
The lockdown on the ship helped lessen the spread of disease. (See article) (See also)
Total deaths = 13 (4)
A large percentage of those who tested positive were asymptomatic at the time of testing. (3)
“Inside look” at events on Diamond Princess – informative video:
Other cruise ships with Coronavirus outbreaks at this time:
Grand Princess – sailing off the coast of California (78 cases) (2)
MS Westerdam – sailing in Asia/Cambodia – 1 passenger tested positive and quickly recovered after receiving oxygen and anti-virals (6)
Looking for supplies – paper towels, sanitizing wipes, educational items for children – Amazon has them
Sources:
(1) ABC News. (2020, March 6). “Quarantined for Coronavirus on the Diamond Princess.” link
(2) Burke, Minyvonne. NBC News “’10 Dead, Over 800 Test Positive in Coronavirus Outbreaks on Princess Cruises,’ CDC Says.” From https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/10-dead-over-800-test-positive-coronavirus-outbreaks-princess-cruises-n1167716.
(3) Feuer, William. (2020 March 23) “CDC Says Coronavirus RNA Found in Princess Cruise Ship Cabin Cabins up to 17 Days After Passengers Left.” Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/23/cdc-coronavirus-survived-in-princess-cruise-cabins-up-to-17-days-after-passengers-left.html
(4) “Mortality Analyses.” (from Johns Hopkins University & Medical Coronavirus Resource Center) https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/mortality
(5) Nakazawa, E., Ino, H., & Akabayashi, A. (2020, March 24). “Chronology of COVID-19 Cases on the Diamond Princess Cruise Ship and Ethical Considerations: A Report From Japan.” Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32207674.
(6) Reuters. (2020, Feb. 22). “Malaysia Says American Coronavirus Case from Westerdam Cruise Ship Now Tests Negative for Virus.” Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/22/malaysia-says-american-coronavirus-case-now-tests-negative-for-virus.html.
Other resources:
“Estimating the Asymptomatic Proportion of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Cases on Board the Diamond Princess Cruise Ship, Yokohama, Japan, 2020” PubMed Link