Passengers talk about life aboard stricken cruise ship
Smith said he was skeptical about the plan, adding, "I understand the need to leave the ship and be elsewhere, but under these circumstances, the offer involves putting people on buses with those who have not completed their quarantine and have not been tested for the virus."
He said he would rather stay on the ship. "We have access to a balcony, we are fed well－three times a day－they provide all the necessities we need here," he said.
However, Smith said he sympathizes with those who are not staying in a suite, as he and his wife are. "We can go outside for fresh air and sunshine whenever we like," he added.
"Other passengers have a vastly different experience if they're staying in cabins that have no window, which are markedly smaller than ours and have no access to fresh air. These passengers have been allowed on deck for an hour every few days."
Zeng, from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that although evacuations may increase the risk of cross-contamination in transit, it is still better to protect and keep suspected cases in a relatively safe area, rather than on the ship. He added that experts are not clear on how the virus spread on the Diamond Princess.
Liu Bende, vice-president of Jiangxia First People's Hospital in Wuhan, Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak, said, "On cruise ships, buffet food is usually served, so it is likely that the virus can be transmitted through such food, which is commonly eaten by all passengers."
Liu, who heads a team of experts organized by the Jiangxia district government to fight the outbreak in Wuhan, added, "The virus can also be spread through passengers touching food with contaminated hands.
"Airborne transmission is a major means by which the novel coronavirus can spread, so those who are infected can transmit it through sneezing or coughing. It is also easier for the virus to be transmitted in indoor areas, including ships' cabins. In addition, it is spread through direct physical contact and fecaloral transmission."
Liu suggested that all ventilation systems on the Diamond Princess should be switched off to reduce transmission of the virus, adding that this measure should also be adopted in hotels and hospitals.
