Nasty Norovirus

During the month of September, a virus you really don’t want to catch, has spread through the school. Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes acute gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach and intestines. According to the Center for Disease Control, “Norovirus is the leading cause of vomiting and diarrhea, and foodborne illnesses in the United States.” Norovirus is spread by sharing food and drink with a sick person and by eating contaminated food, usually shellfish. One of the reasons this virus is so contagious is because it has a long surface life. Norovirus has been found to survive on contaminated carpet for up to 12 days and can live on virtually any hard surface according to the National Health Service. Last month there was one confirmed case of Norovirus in the school district, but around 20 suspected, untested cases, according to Nurse Groundwater. When I asked Nurse Groundwater about how the school made the decision to classify this as an outbreak she told me that “it’s really up to the health department’s discretion if they’re gonna call something an outbreak or not” Once the Health Department was notified of the one confirmed case they made the call to classify it as an outbreak. The school then takes the necessary sanitary and warning steps, like informing parents on handwashing and other information that can be found on the CDC website about Norovirus. I followed up asking her if she thought the health department was being more cautious since Norovirus is so contagious, she said that although she can’t read their minds, she does think that that was probably the case and to sum it all up she said that “I think it was the right call because especially with Norovirus the symptoms are only lasting a days [...] which is why I was just like lets escalate [the reaction]”.  

After I had my interview with Nurse Groundwater I decided to do more research on how to protect yourself from such a contagious disease that the health department had viewed as such a threat. In order to protect yourself from Norovirus make sure to wash your hands frequently, especially after using the bathroom. Stay home from school and try to limit contact with other people. Even after you get better, be careful as you can be contagious for up to two weeks after you recover from Noro. There is unfortunately no “treatment” for Norovirus, antibiotics are ineffective since Noro is not a bacterial infection. While you are sick make sure to rest and drink lots of fluids, as dehydration is the biggest concern for people with Norovirus. Consider getting the Norovirus vaccine in order to prevent getting sick in the first place. 

This virus has not only caused problems in our school but also in our state over the years. According to the CDC, Montana had 4 confirmed statewide outbreaks from September 1st of last year to August 31st of this year, but the CDC estimates that there could be 4-10 outbreaks that happened last year in Montana. So during Norovirus season, make sure to wash your hands, get vaccinated and avoid people who have Norovirus.