We found that the article on “COVID-19 on board a cruise ship: medical management” [1] is interesting. In order to help the ship doctor foresee the length and significance of the contaminations, Beust et al. [1] studied the dynamics of a COVID-19 cluster on a cruise ship. Beust et al. [1] sought to determine if the enclosed environment on board permits precise inferences about the dynamics of epidemics and appropriate preventive actions. The study found similarities in the dynamics of virus dissemination on cruise ships and in land-based outbreaks. Regular polymerase chain reaction testing of crew members, in addition to symptomatic case testing, reveals a proactive strategy to monitoring and managing the virus’s spread on board. The usage of an excel spreadsheet for daily reporting to the ship’s owner demonstrates a dedication to transparency and good communication regarding the pandemic situation.
Because the study only comprises one ship and its crew members, the sample size is quite limited. This small sample size may not be typical of the larger population or provide an in-depth insight of COVID-19 transmission patterns on cruise ships in general. Furthermore, the paper did not identify specific preventive actions and treatments implemented on the ship to mitigate the spread of the pathogen. Without this information, determining the effectiveness of the actions implemented and their impact on the reported epidemic dynamics is impossible. Before drawing conclusive conclusions or generalizing the findings to other contexts, it is critical to understand these limitations as well as the need for additional study and validation. Finally, we should also recognize the diagnostic ability of the diagnostic test. False positive and false negative can still occur and it is necessary to interpret the results with concerns on possibility of the false result. The quality control of all laboratory investigation on ship might be difficult but it is needed.
Conflict of interest: None declared
