Meet our shipping hero – Vomiting Larry
If you think you already have, after the midnight buffet or on a particularly rough sea crossing, you’ll find this is a different Larry that is a “simulated vomiting system” at the UK’s Health and Safety Laboratory to simulate the spread of novovirus, a particular scourge of cruise ships. Sadly the BBC says “it is a hardy virus that clearly spreads with ease – one of the few infections you really can catch from a toilet seat, or even from the air in the bathroom if an infected person has recently pulled the flush”. Larry can projectile vomit an impressive three metres. And novovirus aerosolised particles can stay virulent for up to two weeks on hard surfaces – and it can survive freezing or mild heating; and many cleaning products won’t kill it. No wonder it can run rampant in the confined spaces of a ship!
At the risk of iTravelTree sounding like your Mum the best solution is to wash your hands well – and frequently.