EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ONBOARD ISOLATION PROTOCOLS IN PREVENTING DISEASE SPREAD

Abstract

The management of an epidemic of an unusual viral respiratory illness aboard a ship, characterized by transmission from person to person, is an issue of public safety due to the close association of occupants in an intimate and air-conditioned atmosphere.It possesses the potential for explosive outbreaks, characterized by a high Secondary Attack Rate (SAR), resulting in considerable morbidity and mortality.This paper evaluates the control methods implemented on two ships experiencing analogous outbreaks and advocates for a consistent, evidence-based approach to such incidents.This descriptive investigation presents a comparative examination of the control methods implemented on two vessels: a cruise ship during a COVID-19 outbreak and a battleship during an H1N1 influenza epidemic, occurring at various time intervals.Data regarding the date of commencement, clinical specifics, test outcomes, travel time, interactions with positive specimens, and initiated prevention efforts were gathered, analyzed, and contrasted.Among the two vessels analyzed, one was a cruise ship reporting 710 COVID-19 instances, an Attack Rate (AR) of 18.4%, and 14 fatalities, while the other was a battleship with 15 cases of H1N1 influenza and an AR of 4.75%.The epidemic trajectory for each epidemic was constructed to analyze temporal dispersion.Active monitoring, prompt self-reporting, and fast disembarkation of participants, coupled with stringent adherence to hand sanitation, coughing protocol, and enhanced disinfection, will facilitate the early abatement of the epidemic.Health instruction should be conducted to disseminate evidence-based information and mitigate fear of the unfamiliar.Vaccination is absent, but if accessible, it should only be delivered following a rigorous study of risk-benefit, cost-benefit, and efficacy.