2021
Photo: Guillaume Plisson
HOW HEALTHY IS YOUR YACHT?
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY On board, COVID infection rates have tracked with background community infection rates A multi-layered defence system for the prevention of COVID infections is vital to reducing the risk of a runaway infection cycle on board a superyacht Medical Kits should be updated in line with MCA MSN 1905 at a minimum and should be evaluated for each area of operation There is no return to normal in the near term future; continued communication and consultation is vital in a rapidly changing health landscape MedAire experienced a 40.5% increase in case activity 2019-2020 There was a 504% increase in Infections/communicable diseases cases in the same period
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OW EARLY LESSONS FROM H 2021 CAN HELP WITH THE RETURN TO A NEW NORMAL The COVID 19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of health and wellbeing starkly across the superyacht industry. The ability for a superyacht to function effectively and safely has been pushed and tested to its limits.
The importance of solid communication between a vessel and medical care support is evident. Safely operating superyachts have an awareness of the risk around them, as well as on board. As the superyacht fleet looks ahead to a successful and safe season, several key Superyachts have operated, in a very literal lessons shine through. sense, as islands. However, the lines between what constitutes a functioning business and a functioning crew, between a healthy home and a healthy yacht, have become intertwined.
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LESSON 1: A BUBBLE IS NO DEFENCE FOR A SUPERYACHT As the pressure has mounted to get vessels ready for the coming season, there may have been a relaxation of preventative measures on board coupled with a strong desire to put last year behind us and get out there to have a relatively regular summer season. The increased background rates of infection in the community are still factors; the pressure to get day workers and contractors on board and finish the yard period, coupled with a relaxation of adherence to safety protocols, has increased exposure to the background infection rates in the community.
COVID RELATED CALLS JANUARY
2020 2021
FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE
“ The bubble analogy is too binary; It implies either being in place or ruptured.”
JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER
In a layered defence system, something like an asymptomatic carrier may breach the first layer. Still, there are other layers of risk mitigation in place that prevent this from becoming a runaway infection cycle.
OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER
CONSIDERATIONS IN KEEPING A HEALTHY YACHT
Temperature checking
Portside / on board testing
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Mask wearing and effective use of PPE
Sanitising hands, cleaning surfaces and minimising contact
Staggered crew mess times
LESSON 2: THERE IS NO ‘STANDARD’ MEDICAL KIT The MCA MSN 1768 has been updated to MSN 1905 and is a timely and much-needed re-examination of the medical kit carried on board, but it is vital to remember; the equipment on board is not static. MedAire make changes to their recommended kit constantly, based on extensive research and over 30 years of data. Being prepared is not only about making sure you have the right equipment on board; equally importantly, does anybody know how to use it? Is the equipment included suitable for use by a non-medical professional, and is it laid out in a format that they will understand? Regular training should be administered by a medical professional. Likewise, the assurance of a team of experts to guide you through the delivery of any medical care is essential to provide confidence. Communication is paramount. The question is not, are you up to date and compliant with a general guideline? The vital information is: Where are you going to be? Who’s going to be on board? What are you going to be doing? That is what dictates what will be recommended to be carried on board. The more that is known about a superyacht’s itinerary, the more the kit can be adapted to suit the idiosyncrasies of the vessel’s plans. A superyacht in the Pacific may need a completely different kit requirement compared to one operating in the Mediterranean.
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Having the right person on board take responsibility for the equipment and supplies is vital, which is the approach MedAire takes with its SeaToShore App, allowing only one dedicated superuser the ability to make updates to the vessel’s inventory. Likewise, the rest of the crew must know the importance of logging usage, and there should be strict controls over access to the medical kit on board to avoid items being removed and not logged as such.
“ The end-user does not necessarily need to think about future-proofing the medical kit because we’re doing that for them.” MedAire will ensure that the kits are compliant and meet any regulations, as well as think beyond the regulations, and have teams operating full time to evaluate the cutting edge of scientific development. The key concept for any superyacht is thinking of MedAire as an extension of their crew. We are here to help guide best practices for managing on board supplies, consulting on the specific risk.
LESSON 3: THE EXPERTS ARE AVAILABLE, AND CONSULTATION IS KEY. Many superyachts have mainly been improvising for the last fifteen months. For the vast majority, they’ve done a remarkable job managing the health of those on board, on top of everything else associated with superyacht operations. Complacency is not the right word; superyacht crew are tired, just like the rest of us.
Preventative health measures may have traditionally been missing from parts of the industry, but we’re starting to see a willingness to have the necessary conversations; emergency planning, better protocols, better access to the proper specialist care and advice, an increase in consulting and engagement with specialists, this, in turn, links protocols to actionable experts.
In the past, it has been challenging to start a health orientated conversation with some captains, crew “ It’s not a race to the finish. or management, and this is understandable, as they have a vast amount happening day-to-day. With the We are training for the future.” realignment of priorities to focus on health, many yachts have opened up the dialogue and are seeking Unfortunately, this next period is likely to be just as active guidance. complex as the last. One of the major challenges is that everybody is getting tired; it is tempting to think of the Almost all case categories saw an overall increase in the current phase as the last 10km of a marathon whereas, same period, suggesting a general need for medical in reality, we can’t say that there’s a finish line. For the support on board, irrespective of COVID. foreseeable future, it is more like getting up and going for a run every day. That’s what we need to be planning for, and sometimes it’s going to be very difficult, “ A necessary consequence of this is but we’ve got to do it to maintain our general health that once the dialogue is open, often and well-being.
the crew begins to get more of an insight into what they don’t know.”
15 of 18
+504%
+40.5%
MedAire case categories saw a usage increase in 2020, compared to 2019
Increase in infectious/ communicable disease cases between 2019 and 2020
Increase in MedAire engagement 2019-2020
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CONCLUSION MedAire saw a significant increase in COVID cases over 2020 in the superyacht sector, these infections tracked closely with the background infection rates in the community. It was also vital to notice that almost all other case categories saw an increase over the same period, suggesting a more generalised need for health care support on board. Keeping a healthy yacht requires a multi-layered approach, so that even if the outer layers are breached, through an asymptomatic carrier for example, effective implementation of protocols onboard can still mitigate the risk of a runaway infection cycle. The MCA mandated medical kit update is a great chance to fully evaluate the medical kit that is carried on board. however, the vital consideration is that there is no static kit, each area of operations has its own considerations and constant contact with professional support will help ensure that the kit will match the voyage. The systems and protocols that have been implemented by the majority of superyachts have been a success, but it is evident that the race is not over. It will be a challenging year ahead and a continued mutual focus and support will be the key.
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CONTRIBUTORS Brent Palmer BEM, BHSc (Nursing), RCpN Director Education and Customer Relations MedAire
Emma Deal Director of Account Management Luxury Yachts MedAire
Tony Nicholson Director of New Builds MedAire
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For more information on our products and services contact MedAire: INFO@MEDAIRE.COM NORTH & SOUTH AMERICA +1 480 333 3700 EUROPE +44 1252 517 951 ASIA PACIFIC +65 6330 9534 MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA +97142536020
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