West Ridge Early Education Centre In Orillia Has Warned Its Families To Watch For Vomiting And/or Diarrhea
Sara Carsontimer
That precious stash of toilet paper from the early days of the pandemic may prove ever more valuable as a stomach bug upsets tummies across the region.
West Ridge Early Education Centre in Orillia has warned its families to watch for enteric symptoms, which include vomiting and/or diarrhea.
This is highly contagious, so proper handwashing and cleaning/disinfecting will be your best friend, the facility told parents.
An outside company will be in this week to deep-clean the entire building, said centre director Rebecca Koza.
Three Barrie daycares are under enteric outbreaks, as well as one in Wasaga Beach, states the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit‘s current outbreaks list.
We cant necessarily say there has been an increase in stomach flu, as the virus that generally causes this is not reportable on its own,” said Kara Thomson-Ryczko, public health promoter with the health unit. “We are seeing a slight increase in enteric outbreaks in our child-care centres, which can be an indicator of community activity.”Norovirus is classified as an enteric outbreak on the health units outbreak listing, but other viral and/or bacterial infections that cause gastrointestinal illness would also be included in this category, she said.
Norovirus is the official name for the group of viruses provisionally described as Norwalk-like viruses. Norovirus is a common cause of viral gastroenteritis, states the health unit’s website.
Do Infected People Need To Be Excluded From School Or Work
Since the virus is passed in vomit and stool, children should not go to daycare or school while they have diarrhea or vomiting. Once illness ends, children can return to daycare, but hand washing must be strictly monitored. Persons who work in nursing homes, take care of patients, orhandle food should stay out of work until at least 48-72 hours after symptoms end.
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What Causes Food Poisoning
Food poisoning develops when infectious organisms such as bacteria, viruses, or parasites contaminate foods. Bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella are among the top five germs that cause food poisoning in the United States. Norovirus is also within the same top-five list according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
You may get food poisoning from eating contaminated or undercooked meat. However, affected meat isnt the only food that causes food poisoning. The following foods can also lead to foodborne illness:
- raw and undercooked eggs
- unpasteurized beverages, such as milk, cider, and juice
- undercooked rice
- excessive thirst
- dizziness, especially when standing
Babies may have sunken eyes or fontanels when they become dehydrated. A fontanel is also known as the soft spot on a babys head. You should seek medical attention if any of these symptoms occur.
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How Norovirus Is Spread
Norovirus can spread very easily.
You can catch norovirus from:
- close contact with someone with norovirus
- touching surfaces or objects that have the virus on them, then touching your mouth
- eating food that’s been prepared or handled by someone with norovirus
Washing your hands frequently with soap and water is the best way to stop it spreading. Alcohol hand gels do not kill norovirus.
Stomach Flu On The Rise Again In Us 5 Things To Know About Noroviruses
While COVID-19 cases continue to drop in the U.S., outbreaks of another virusthe stomach fluare ramping up, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.
This comes amid easing virus restrictions nationwide. For most of the U.S., roughly 99.5%, it isnt recommended to wear a mask indoors in public because of low or medium COVID-19 Community Level as of March 31, the CDC says.
Meanwhile, 448 norovirus outbreaks were reported in the U.S. from Aug. 1, 2021, to March 5, 2022, according to the agency. In comparison, thats 370 more outbreaks than reported from Aug. 1, 2020, to March 5, 2021, when 78 stomach virus outbreaks were seen.
With people returning to offices and schoolstwo of the most common spots for norovirus outbreakscases of the stomach flu are getting closer to the numbers reported before the pandemic, according to NBC News.
Dr. Robert Atmar, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, told the outlet that the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions is likely connected to the rise in norovirus infections.
Battling norovirus while nursing my sick daughter. Worrying when my son goes to school if he will get COVID . anxiety levels are reaching breaking point, British art historian Dr. Janina Ramirez wrote April 5 on Twitter. The norovirus is the most common stomach bug in the UK, affecting people of all ages, according to the Broxbourne Council.
Heres what to know about the stomach flu:
What are noroviruses?
How contagious are noroviruses?
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When To Contact A Doctor For Infants And Children
Infants and children are particularly susceptible to complications from viral gastroenteritis. A caregiver should talk with a healthcare professional for advice if they are concerned.
Seek help if the child has any of the following symptoms or signs:
- drowsiness, irritability, lack of energy
- diarrhea lasting longer than 24 hours
- pain
Do More People Have The Flu This Year Than Usual
Pediatrician Dr. Natasha Burgert tells Romper that she is seeing lots of influenza A, gastroenteritis, and RSV at her private practice in Kansas City. Typically May is a quiet month in the pediatrician’s office, she explains. But this year, we are unusually busy due to all the illnesses.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported an uptick in late-season flu cases on March 18. According to the report, it was an unusual time for flu activity to be increasing. The report also noted that flu cases had declined from December to mid-January before rising again. As of May 6, cases were back in decline, but still cumulatively higher than previous seasons. CDC estimates that, so far this season, there have been at least 5.7 million flu illnesses, 59,000 hospitalizations, and 3,600 deaths from flu, states their website. The majority of circulating cases are caused by H3N2 virus, more commonly known as flu A.
Put simply, Dr. Michael Chang, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at UT Health Houston and Children’s Memorial Hermann, tells Romper, Influenza cases have not necessarily increased recently, but they have persisted in higher numbers well beyond the normal respiratory flu season.
The good news is that while current hospitalization rates for respiratory flu cases are higher than the end-of-season rates for the 2020-2021 season, per the CDC, they are lower than the four seasons that preceded the start of the Covid pandemic.
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Norovirus Spreads Very Easily And Quickly In Different Ways
You can get norovirus by accidentally getting tiny particles of feces or vomit from an infected person in your mouth.
This can happen if you
- eat food or drink liquids that are contaminated with norovirus,
- touch surfaces or objects contaminated with norovirus and then put your fingers in your mouth, or
- have direct contact with someone who is infected with norovirus, such as by caring for them or sharing food or eating utensils with them.
If you get norovirus illness, you can shed billions of norovirus particles that you cant see without a microscope. Only a few norovirus particles can make other people sick. You are most contagious
- when you have symptoms of norovirus illness, especially vomiting, and
- during the first few days after you recover from norovirus illness.
However, studies have shown that you can still spread norovirus for two weeks or more after you feel better.
Norovirus can easily contaminate food and water because it only takes a very small amount of virus particles to make you sick. Food and water can get contaminated with norovirus in many ways, including when:
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Dr. Joan Thode offered the following advice:
You cannot tell the difference between COVID-19 and the common cold based on symptoms, unfortunately. COVID-19 symptoms in kids can vary greatly, including runny nose, coughing, sore throat, fevers, diarrhea, fatigue, body aches and headaches. Many viral illnesses include these symptoms as well. The only definitive way to diagnose COVID-19 is by a nasal swab.
Testing is still most accurate two to four days after the start of symptoms, but its important to bring a child to medical attention as soon as possible if there are any signs of respiratory distress or increased work of breathing.
Reasons to bring your child to medical evaluation include: five consecutive days of fever respiratory distress or increased work of breathing fevers that come back before cold symptoms have fully improved cough that does not improve after about two weeks nasal drainage that returns after getting almost all better.
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So Youre Feeling Terrible But Why Knowing The Reason For Your Upset Stomach Is The First Step To Feeling Better A Nurse Explains The Difference Between Food Poisoning And A Stomach Bug
Its a question no one ever wants to have to ask: Is this food poisoning or a stomach bug? Your stomachs starting to feel uneasy, but where did it come from? Either way, food poisoning and stomach bugs are miserable at best and dangerous at worst.
Both types of upset stomach can feel similar, but they have a few key differences to help you know what is going on, and more importantly, when youre going to get some relief.
Can Covid Feel Like A Stomach Bug
Research consistently shows that approximately 5-10% of adults with COVID-19 report GI symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Typically, patients who have GI symptoms of COVID-19 will also have the more common upper respiratory symptoms that accompany COVID-19, such as a dry cough or difficulty breathing.12 Dec 2020
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Stomach Virus Spreading Through Region Doctors Warn
SOUTH JERSEY A stomach virus has been going around the past couple of weeks, and some people are ending up in the hospital.
Symptoms from this stomach virus include prolonged diarrhea up to two weeks, vomiting, fever, body aches and general feelings of weakness.
“It is very difficult to treat. Most of our interventions focus on avoiding dehydration,” said Dr. Elise Morel, lead physician at Virtua Urgent Care.
According to Morel, the virus moves easily from person to person, including kids and babies. She said it’s important to make sure children drink plenty of water.
“Looking at how much kids are able to take in,” she advised, “and keeping an eye on are they making urine, what kind of urine output are they having?”
As Covid Restrictions Ease Another Virus Rises Back To Pre
As Covid-19 cases continue to fall in the United States, cases of another virus are rebounding to pre-pandemic levels.
Outbreaks of norovirus, the bug responsible for the dreaded stomach flu, have been on the rise since January, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
From August 2021 through the beginning of last month, the CDC reported 448 norovirus outbreaks. During the same time period the previous year, just 78 were reported.
Since early January, the number of weekly outbreaks has risen from fewer than 10 to more than 50. The data is based on reports from state health departments in Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
There’s no data to suggest that the norovirus outbreaks are in any way linked to the omicron variant of the coronavirus.
But it may be possible that the lifting of Covid restrictions is helping the virus spread. Norovirus, which causes vomiting and diarrhea, is highly contagious and spreads from person to person through surfaces.
Dr. Robert Atmar, a professor of medicine and infectious diseases expert at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said he suspects the increase in outbreaks may be a reflection of loosened Covid mitigation strategies nationwide.
The concentration of virus in stool samples is pretty high, so it doesnt take much microscopic contamination to infect people, Atmar said.
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When To Seek Help For The ‘stomach Flu’
Unless somebody is extremely sick or immunocompromised, a day or two of symptoms typically doesnt require testing or treatment its just watching and waiting, plus plenty of fluids, Vinetz said.
The general advice is: If youre not better after a couple of days, go see a doctor, he noted.
If you cant keep anything down or are getting dizzy because youre getting dehydrated, then you need to see a doctor or go to the emergency room.
How Can I Prevent The Spread Of Norovirus
- Practice proper hand hygiene:
- Wash your hands carefully with soap and water, especially after using the toilet and changing diapers, and always before eating or preparing food.
- Alcohol-based hand sanitizers may be a helpful addition to hand washing, but they are not a substitute for washing with soap and water. See CDCs Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives.
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Is There A Difference Between Stomach Flu And Stomach Virus
A viral infection that attacks the digestive system is commonly called a stomach virus. People sometimes call the illness a stomach flu, although this name is misleading, as influenza attacks the respiratory system. A stomach virus can also be known as viral gastroenteritis. Different strains of the virus exist.
Is It Stomach Bug Stomach Flu Or Food Poisoning
Your stomach is in knots as another wave of nausea strikes, sending you to the bathroom for the third time in an hour. But whats the cause? Two likely culprits are stomach bug and food poisoning. But how does stomach flu differ from food poisoning? Understanding the difference may lead to feeling better sooner and even prevent the illness from occurring in the first place.
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While Covid Is Declining Cases Of Stomach Flu Are Rising
BOSTON — While COVID cases may be declining nationwide, cases of the stomach flu are on the rise and returning to pre-pandemic levels.
For several weeks now we’ve been seeing more and more patients with belly pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. This is consistent with a new report from the CDC that the norovirus, the germ responsible for the stomach flu, has been increasingly active since January.
In fact, between last August and March of this year, there were nearly 448 norovirus outbreaks recorded in 12 different states including Massachusetts, compared to only 78 outbreaks the year before. This is likely due to the fact that we’ve been lifting COVID restrictions.
Norovirus is easily passed from person to person through contaminated food, water, or by touching contaminated surfaces, not through the air. But if people aren’t washing their hands or disinfecting surfaces as frequently, it’s not surprising that germs like the norovirus are taking full advantage.
- In:
First published on April 4, 2022 / 11:55 PM
Is There A Stomach Virus Going Around Now
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How Do You Know If An Upset Stomach Is A Covid Symptom
When you or your kids throw up or have diarrhea, itâs easy to brush it off as a typical stomach bug or just something you ate. After all, norovirus is highly contagious and extremely common, according to the Centers For Disease Control. The CDC website states that ânorovirus is the most common cause of vomiting and diarrhea, and foodborne illness.â
As it turns out, a Covid test is the only way to determine if that pesky âstomach bugâ is actually a BA.2 infection. Plus, with and a vaccine for the under 5 age group still in the works, community spread is still a looming concern.
âThis variant is not necessarily any more severe than Omicron, but does appear to be more contagious,â Dr. Denise Scott, a pediatrician and pediatric endocrinologist, tells Romper via email. âChildren have been one of the hardest hit groups. The Covid vaccine does offer protection, yet children remain the least vaccinated group and those under 5 years of age have not yet been approved for the vaccine.â
How Long Does Stomach Flu Last: Know The Facts
Stomach flu is a very common problem in society these days. The virus is very easily transmitted into the body and affects our stomach as these organs are very sensitive, thus what we eat and how that food was made matters. Right in 2020 stomach viruses like NOROVIRUS and INFLUENZA -A are hitting all around the globe. The world has been going through this common disease present in many forms of viruses and bacterias. Stomach flu is said to be very common and easily infectable as these viruses and bacterias are commonly around and yet ignored.
We need to know about stomach flu and stomach viruses to prevent and treat it in better ways, than actually ignoring our bowel conditions leading to major illnesses.
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