The health of crew onboard superyachts: what does the data show us?
3rd March 2023, London UK - MedAire has just released data, providing insights into its global telemedical response service during 2022. Used by over 50% of the world’s largest superyachts, more than 7,000 yacht crew have access to the MedAire servi…
3rd March 2023, London UK - MedAire has just released data, providing insights into its global telemedical response service during 2022.
Used by over 50% of the world’s largest superyachts, more than 7,000 yacht crew have access to the MedAire service. This allows them to receive emergency and routine medical advice assistance, from wherever they are in the world.
Month on month, cases trended in volume, similarly to the previous year, with the exception of the busy Mediterranean yachting season in July and August, which saw record breaking case numbers (for yachts) within our Assistance Centres.
Whilst most case categories in 2022 compared similarly to 2021, the respiratory and gastrointestinal case categories saw increases in excess of 20%, year on year.
Brent Palmer, Director of Education at MedAire says that “This new data shows that what is happening onboard reflects what is happening worldwide – a tripledemic of flu, alongside Covid and also RSV. It’s important that vessels take all of the necessary precautions, such as ensuring everyone onboard takes their annual flu shot and remains educated about the health risks within their cruising locations”.
UTIs were the most common illness onboard, followed by tonsillitis.
In terms of injuries: lacerations and back complaints were most commonly seen – highlighting the importance of regular training around lifting and back care.
As in previous years, MedAire’s five largest regions by case volume were Southern Europe, the Caribbean, Central America, United States and Southwest Asia – with the Caribbean, as had been previously predicted, seeing the biggest increase in case numbers from 2021 to 2022 (of these regions).
Looking at the other regions, the South Pacific saw the biggest increase with 179% more cases in 2022, than 2021.
Emma Deal, Director of Account Management, Luxury Yachts says that “Our medical data provides an interesting snapshot into the movements of our clients and this year we saw a big increase in cases from the South Pacific, particularly Fiji and French Polynesia. International SOS’ 2023 Travel Risk map shows these areas to be of medium medical risk so, as always, our advice to clients is to consult MedAire pre-travel, not only on any disease risks in the area, but potentially also on the country’s medical infrastructure. Shoreside facilities and capabilities that were available in previous years, may now be of a lower standard with over-stretched resources. Knowing the risks and having robust response plans in place for these areas is essential, especially if you are looking after elderly guests or doing adventurous activities like diving”.
To find out more about how MedAire’s remote assistance helps crew and guests onboard yachts, click here.
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