16 January 2014 (12:08 UTC-07 Tango)/14 Rabi ‘al-Awwal 1435/26 Dey 1392/16 Gui-Chou (12th month) 4711
Ireland: Letterkenny General Hospital psychiatry department closed due to norovirus.
“This is an abnormal situation. We want to investigate every possible cause.”-Terada Seiko, board of education
Hamamatsu City, Japan: 900 grade school kids, and more than 40 adults, at 14 schools were hit in one day. Local education officials are suspecting the contracted food service, but investigations have yet to determine the exact source of infection. Complicating the investigation is the fact that food for the schools are made at several different locations. At this point only five victims tested positive for norovirus.
New Zealand: Reports say at least 60 passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship are sick with norovirus. The ship is being scrubbed before it sets sail on the next cruise. Passengers for the upcoming cruise are worried, but told local news sources that the cruise line is not willing to refund their money, so they’ll take their chances. The people who got sick on the previous cruise did so after the ship set sail from Australia.
Taiwan: Health officials claim a South Korean restaurant is to blame for making dozens of Taiwanese tourists sick. They claim the employees at the restaurant tested positive for norovirus. It is possible to have norovirus and not have any symptoms.
United Kingdom: Multiple hospitals have wards closed due to vomiting bug. They include Sandwell Hospital, Walsall Manor Hospital, Llandough Hospital, University Hospital of Wales, Morriston Hospital, Wigan Infirmary, Neath Port Talbot Hospital, Bridport Community Hospital, Alexandra Hospital and Royal Lancaster Infirmary.
California, U.S.A.: In Santa Rosa, the operators of a nursing home have closed the facility to visitation. The director of the home published a statement which said they had to take “aggressive action” to stop a suspected norovirus and/or influenza outbreak. In an example of continued misdiagnosis, an 88 years old patient said she was rushed to the hospital, being told she probably had the flu even though her symptoms were vomiting and diarrhea within an hour of eating. Hospital test showed it was norovirus. Even medical employees still incorrectly call gastrointestinal illness “stomach flu”.
Colorado, U.S.A.: The mental ward of the Grand River Hospital declared an outbreak of stomach bug.
Michigan, U.S.A.: A Christian school was shut down after 30 student developed stomach illness. A doctor who obviously thinks lowly of children, blamed the children: “They rub their butts, they run around, they spread the feces.”-Puneet Gupta, Covenant Hospital
Texas, U.S.A.: 55 prisoners are now sick at the Livingston Polunksy Unit prison. The first stomach bug cases hit prisoners on death row. The Polunksy Unit has 3-thousand prisoners! Prison employees are also sick.
Oregon, U.S.A.: Health officials report 19 new cases.
The U.S. CDC says norovirus accounts for as many as 800 deaths in the United States, every year.
Norovirus (aka Norwalk Virus), is a surface contact bug, meaning you pick it up by touching or eating it. It is not influenza and there is still no vaccine for fast evolving RNA norovirus. The only ‘treatment’ is to keep the sick person hydrated.
Exotic anti-biotic soaps can’t kill norovirus, or any other virus for that matter, because anti-biotics are only for bacteria. Despite that, even hand ‘sanitizers’ made with alcohol can’t totally get rid of norovirus. Guess what apparently works? According to the U.S. CDC old fashioned hand soap is best. Consumer Reports says to leave the soap on your hands for a minimum of 20 seconds. Also, in public restrooms use a paper towel to turn off the faucet and to open the door, do not touch surfaces with your bare hands after washing them.
Wash household surfaces with bleach.
The worse thing is that you can be infected and not have any symptoms. An infected person can spread norovirus, yet not feel sick themselves. If you think you might be infected do not cook food for other people. People recovering from traditional symptoms of norovirus can continue spreading the bug for days after feeling better (some reports say weeks).