Norovirus news NOT on a cruise ship!

[Robin7]

Well, I'll be darned. An article about Noroviruses, and it's not about a cruise! Wash your hands, people, wash your hands.

 

Robin

 

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) -- Two hospitals are asking visitors, especially children, to stay away until they control an outbreak of a highly contagious stomach virus that has sickened patients and staff members.

 

"We're just asking the community to help out," said Dr. Ward Robinson, an infectious disease specialist at Moses Cone Hospital. "I don't think this is the black plague coming into Greensboro."

 

Doctors confirmed an outbreak at the hospital and believe the virus also has hit Wesley Long Hospital. The number of people affected wasn't immediately available, hospital officials said.

 

Three suspected norovirus cases first appeared on Feb. 1 and were not confirmed until Wednesday, Doug Allred, a spokesman for Moses Cone Health System, said Friday.

 

The hospitals will admit new patients who will be sent to areas considered clear of the virus.

 

"All services are running as normal," Allred said. "Mostly this is aimed at visitors to take these precautions."

 

Allred said it wasn't clear where the infection originated.

 

"It's coming in from elsewhere," he said. "It's in our community."

 

A number of cruises, airplane flights, hotels and other gathering places have been stricken over the past several years with outbreaks of noroviruses.

 

The viruses can cause diarrhea, stomach pain and vomiting for two to four days, but are generally not fatal, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

[Pisces11]

My husband and I both caught the norovirus visiting our grandchildren in Boston. Neither one of us have been that ill in a very long time. Evidently, they are having quite an outbreak in the Northeast.

[parrottheadrn]

I am a registered nurse in NH and we have two patients with confirmed norwalk virus on my floor.

[Navy_Chief]

It's beginning to get more attention by the news media (on slow days) at various locations other than ships. We had a local retirement community that it was going through noted on the news in Connecticut the other day.

[Palm Beacher]

Below is an article from today's Providence Journal....

 

 

Norovirus bug multiplies statewide

 

 

01:00 AM EST on Saturday, February 10, 2007

 

 

Rhode Island is experiencing a spike in norovirus, the nasty stomach bug that causes severe nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Although norovirus cases typically increase at this time of year, the state Department of Health is finding that the incidence is even more widespread than usual this month, a phenomenon that health officials say is occurring nationwide.

The department does not count the number of cases, but gets reports from nursing homes, schools, and hospitals when clusters occur. Lately, instead of a few scattered reports of outbreaks, the department is hearing from all those places at once, said spokeswoman Annemarie Beardsworth.

Norovirus is highly contagious. It spreads when people do not wash their hands well after going to the bathroom, especially after a bowel movement or vomiting. The germs on their hands spread to other people and even a tiny amount can make them ill.

Infected people get better in two or three days, usually without complications. But they can spread the illness for 24 to 72 hours after recovery, sometimes longer. The biggest risk of the norovirus is dehydration, which can be serious in elderly people or infants.

To prevent further spread of norovirus, the Health Department recommends these measures:

•Wash hands often and thoroughly with soap and running water, especially after using the restroom, changing diapers or cleaning up vomit; after helping someone use the restroom; after caring for a sick person; and before preparing food or eating.

•Wear disposable gloves when cleaning up after someone who has been sick.

•Disinfect hard surfaces exposed to vomit, such as toilets or floors, with a solution of one part bleach to 50 parts water.

•If you are ill, do not prepare food or provide medical or childcare for at least 48 hours after your symptoms go away.

•Keep sick children home form daycare or school.

•Do not attend work or social events while ill.

•Food service workers who are sick should stay home for at least 48 hours after their symptoms go away.

•In commercial food establishments, do not touch ready-to-eat foods with bare hands.

[SoBaycruiser]

My husband and I got the norovirus in early December when we had relatives out on our boat for the day... it was a cruise ... but not on a ship :D. We were amazed. My nephew's daughter had what we thought was an ordinary stomach flu 2 days before. The night after being out on the boat, her parents and grandmother all came down with the norovirus. 24 hrs later so did we. I have never been so violently ill in all my 56 years! Since we live in So Cal, the December day was warm and we were outside the whole time. Still that nasty bug got us!

[hammybee]

I have had it twice, both times following flights. Once was a land vacation and flight to MIA. Other time it was a flight to LHR, pre cruise. Fortunately for the cruise, we planned several days in London before embarkation and by the time we boarded we were in decent shape. This was 4 summers ago and there were no health forms to complete before boarding nor any of the precautions common on currents sailings.

[Robin7]

Other time it was a flight to LHR, pre cruise. Fortunately for the cruise, we planned several days in London before embarkation and by the time we boarded we were in decent shape.

 

We really want to do a cruise out of London. We've been looking at at Transatlantic that starts there. Our plan was also to spend a few days prior to the cruise seeing some of London. Did you get to do ANY sightseeing? What a way to ruin that part of your trip! I hope you had a good cruise at least.

 

Two of my kids had what I'm sure was a Norwalk virus a few weeks ago. Vomiting, diarrhea, and a high fever. My ten-year-old and my sixteen-year-old. They were soooooooooo ill. I was worried it would go through the rest of us, and I'd get sick just as we were to leave to go on a long-awaited trip to Korea. I washed and disinfected and cleaned like crazy. No one else got it. I'm not sure how we got so lucky, except I was the hand-washing police.

 

Robin