13 February 2013
In United Kingdom, the Arrowe Park Hospital has lifted visitor restrictions. Hospital officials said they imposed the restrictions to keep patients from catching the vomiting bug.
12 February 2013
Two nursing homes in Sacramento County, California, are reporting outbreaks. At least 34 people sick.
Also in Sacramento County, school officials say there are so many students out sick that the school districts are losing state funding. Officials report losing between $28 and $39 USD per day for every student out sick.
A New Jersey TV station reporting that hospitals in Bronx, New York, are reporting spikes in the number of people coming in with the stomach bug.
In United Kingdom, four wards of the York Teaching Hospital were shut down: “It’s really tough in the hospital. We have had to open extra beds wherever we can in areas which have previously been empty. Staff is also thin on the ground because some of them have also come down with the bug.”-Libby McManus, National Health Service (NHS)
In Arkansas, health officials believe the norovirus (aka Norwalk virus) has hit their state, but, because it isn’t really tracked they’re not sure how bad it is this year. One doctor said that norovirus is under-reported.
In Belgium, the grocery store chain Carrefour is recalling Normandy oysters. The company is worried because of the growing number of people who ate them are now showing signs of norovirus infection.
11 February 2013
In Canada, visitor restrictions have been lifted at a Prince Albert Hospital. 16 patients and eight hospital staff became sick back in January.
08 February 2013
In Pennsylvania, a Catholic prep school, Villa Joseph Marie, closed because too many students were out sick.
In Tennessee, doctors say norovirus is now at epidemic levels: “For other people who have chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease, it can be deadly. A lot of these people have to get put in the hospital because they get so severely dehydrated.”-Mark Castellaw, Baptist Memorial Hospital
In Wyoming, state inspectors have determined the source of what caused a norovirus outbreak at a Golden Corral buffet back in December. A 15 page report blames 31 employees, who kept working even though they were all sick. A total of 344 cases were reported. Blame no paid sick leave!
In Contra Costa County, California, it was revealed that a steak restaurant was closed because of the vomiting bug. County officials closed Fleming’s Steakhouse after several employees and at least two customers became sick. It’s now open after being cleaned.
In South Dakota, the entire Bridgewater-Emery school district closed down because so many students and teachers were out sick.
07 February 2013
In North Carolina, the Mecklenburg County Health Department has confirmed many cases at local nursing homes. At least 45 residents and 12 nursing home staff are sick.
In Missouri, the Saint Louis County Health Department reports at least eight outbreaks in the county. Officials with Barnes Jewish Hospital say cases are spiking.
06 February 2013
In California, Charity Thoman, with the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department, wrote of her experiences with norovirus, and tried to explain why this year’s version is so bad: “What’s different about the virus in this 2012-2013 season involves one of my favorite topics: evolutionary genetics. Norovirus is a single-stranded RNA virus which can evolve rapidly by inserting small mutations into its genome. In March 2012, the virus mutated again, resulting in the GII.4 Sydney strain (named after its origin in Sydney, Australia). This mutant strain is spreading rapidly across the world and across California. Santa Barbara County is now sending all positive stool specimens to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) for further subtyping to determine which strain we are dealing with. So far all of our positive specimens have been the new Sydney strain.”
In Ohio, the Columbus Public Health Department reports 100 confirmed cases.