Norovirus Suspected

re than 100 students from a Fairfax County, Va., school stayed home Friday, possibly because of a norovirus outbreak.

The students from Willow Springs Elementary School complained of gastrointestinal problems, according to a Fairfax County Public Schools spokesperson.

Seven teachers also were out sick Friday.

The school will be cleaned over the weekend.

The D.C. Department of Health is investigating a possible norovirus outbreak at Howard University, and about 85 cases were reported by students at The George Washington University earlier this month. One case also was reported at Henderson Elementary School in Montclair, Va.

Norovirus usually is not serious and most patients recover within two days. It can be serious for young children, the elderly and people with existing health conditions.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, norovirus has the following common symptoms:

Diarrhea
Vomiting
Nausea
Stomach cramps
Less common symptoms include:

Low-grade fever
Chills
Headache
Muscle aches
General sense of fatigue
It can also cause dehydration in patients who don’t drink enough liquid to replace fluids lost from vomiting and diarrhea. Symptoms of dehydration include:

Decrease in urination
Dry mouth and throat
Dizziness when standing up
Dehydrated children also may cry with few or no tears and may seem unusually tired or fussy.

BS.

Asian kids never miss school.

The seven teachers called out sick were hung over. We drink a lot. Those Tigermoms are all bitches!

No joking matter...my family just had the pleasure. Usually once the first person has been infected then the next and next every 2-3 days. Can last 2-5 days. The germs can remain on surfaces for 2 days to a month. Best advise....wash those hands and keep them away from your mouth/face. Disinfect all surfaces, countertops, door knobs, phones..the list goes on. Those that have been so unfortunate, please stay at home. Further info just look it up on the internet, this is spreading throughout Fairfax.

Gee, when I was growing up in this area, it was called the stomach flu and it made the rounds every year and nobody freaked out. So we give it a scientific name and all of a sudden it's a huge new story.

And the newscasters can't even seem to get it right that Willow Springs Elementary isn't in RESTON (Come on Newschannel 8).

I am not saying it is a pleasant ailment, I am just saying, it was never newsworthy until they gave it a fancy name.

Best to get it over with and build up the immunity. Rarely strikes the same person twice.

Probably another third world disease brought to us by the unwashed illegals.

norovirus shmorovirus Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Gee, when I was growing up in this area, it was
> called the stomach flu and it made the rounds
> every year and nobody freaked out. So we give it
> a scientific name and all of a sudden it's a huge
> new story.
>
> And the newscasters can't even seem to get it
> right that Willow Springs Elementary isn't in
> RESTON (Come on Newschannel 8).
>
> I am not saying it is a pleasant ailment, I am
> just saying, it was never newsworthy until they
> gave it a fancy name.

I agree the current media makes it out to be an epidemic or something, they did indeed cover mass illnesses in local schools years ago. While there may not have been the fancy 'norovirus' term, a reference to the 'flu' was sufficient and definitely a big 'news worthy' story back in the day. Remember, reporters tend to be lazy. It's an easy story, requires little work or effort. Very popular to use to fill news time.

Shadow Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ...a reference to the 'flu' was sufficient and
> definitely a big 'news worthy' story back in the
> day...

For some of "back in the day" predates fears about mild illnesses - they were simply accepted and dealt with.