Germs may have spread on cruise ships at buffet, NHK experiment shows

NHK, Japan's national broadcasting agency recently conducted an experiment to see how germs may have spread on cruise ships after reports emerged suggesting that coronavirus on carriers may have occurred at buffet venues where many people gather at the same time. The experiment was conducted in collaboration with experts, the video of which was shared by the news agency on its Twitter handle. 

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During the experiment, fluorescent paint was applied to the hands of one person and then a group of ten people was asked to dine from the same buffet from which the designated infected participant had dined. After 30 minutes it was found that the paint had transferred to every individual who took food from the buffet. In the video shared by NHK, one can see the paint on the faces of three people under a special light and on plates and dishes of other participants as well. 

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COVID-19 on cruise ships

In February, COVID-19 was detected among passengers on the cruise ship Diamond Princess, where some 700 people were infected. According to reports, a person who had disembarked in Hong Kong days earlier tested positive for Coronavirus. The ship with over 3,500 passengers and crew members was quarantine immediately on the shore of Japan. Following the incident, Coronavirus cases were detected on other cruise vessels, including Grand Princess, which was quarantined off the coast of California and Ruby Princess. 

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According to figures by worldometer website, more than 4 million people have been infected by coronavirus so far, of which nearly 2,76,000 have lost their lives. 

(Image Credit: @nhk_news/Twitter)