This probably isn’t the kind of adventure that passengers expect when they sign up for a cruise.
Currently, passengers on two cruise ships are under quarantine. The Princess Diamond and the World Dream are anchored off Japan and Hong Kong, respectively.
There are at least 10 passengers who have been confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus on Princess Diamond.
The Diamond Princess is anchored off the coast of Yokohama, near Tokyo, with 1,045 crew and 2,666 passengers — including 428 Americans — on board. The second ship, the World Dream, is docked at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Cruise Terminal with 1,800 people on board, the city’s Department of Health said Wednesday.
I am not a big cruise person myself. My first cruise was a cruise to nowhere. If passengers are stranded under a 14-day quarantine, those who paid for a more spacious cabin may not regret that choice now.
Proper Name for This Virus Coming Soon
This strain of coronavirus will soon get a proper name. Coronavirus isn’t the name of the virus. For this strain, the temporary name is Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV).
The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) is responsible for naming of the virus. Previously, we have SARS, MERS, H1N1. Since “coronavirus” is used everywhere, it’d be interesting to see how the official name takes off after its announcement in the coming days.
The virus is no laughing matter. I did get a good chuckle when a commenter elsewhere says it should be called, “Batsh** crazy” virus.
It’s not outrageous. Especially since the origin of this coronavirus may be traced back to bats.
