PASCAGOULA, Miss. (WLOX) – A South Mississippi nursing administrator is again dwelling after coming back from a Caribbean cruise on the Norwegian Cruise Line’s Breakaway.
The Breakaway arrived again in New Orleans on Sunday and, with it, the announcement that 17 people on board had tested positive for COVID-19, together with one crew member believed to have the omnicron variant.
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Among the many 3,200 individuals who had been aboard the vessel had been Singing River Well being Programs’ Chief Nursing Officer, Susan Russell, and her husband Eddie.
As a nursing skilled, Susan Russell has been on the forefront of healthcare for the reason that pandemic started. She mentioned that the breakout of circumstances on the cruise ship may have been a lot worse and credit the cruise line with taking each precaution essential to attempt to maintain individuals secure.
“It was a really, superb cruise,” she mentioned. “Very excessive sanitation, mask-wearing by the entire workers members. I imply, nobody ever had a breach. All people was very compliant, and it was, actually, the most secure atmosphere I really feel like I’ve been in.”
Everybody on the ship was required to take a COVID-19 take a look at earlier than coming aboard, and all cruise passengers had been required to be vaccinated. The company needed to once more take a COVID-19 take a look at earlier than disembarking from the ship.
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Of the 17 folks that have examined optimistic for the virus, the cruise line says they’re all delicate circumstances with few to no signs.
“Up so far, these individuals haven’t been in poor health. They’ve simply examined optimistic,” mentioned Susan Russell.
In line with the CDC and different well being officers, the vaccine doesn’t stop individuals from getting the virus however does give them extra safety from creating a extreme and doubtlessly lethal case of COVID-19.
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Russell mentioned the outbreak aboard The Breakaway is a main instance of the vaccine working prefer it was designed to.
“We all know the vaccines are usually not going to be one hundred pc however contemplating the truth that we all know one hundred pc of the individuals had been vaccinated and the very, very low quantity of people that have simply examined optimistic, it does present that the vaccination does assist maintain us secure, even when we’re in very tight quarters like a cruise ship,” mentioned Russell.
The seven-day voyage stopped in Belize, Honduras and Mexico. Even with everybody being vaccinated and being examined earlier than coming onboard, it’s attainable that somebody picked up the virus whereas in one of many ports, mentioned Russell.
Russell and her members of the family all examined destructive for the virus.
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