Southern California Hit by Norovirus
Fresh on the heels of a GeorgetownUniversity outbreak, at least 130 University of Southern California students were infected over the weekend with what health officials believe is the norovirus, the Daily Trojan reports. School officials notified students of the outbreak via their emergency text message system Saturday morning and also warned sick students not to attend the Oregon game because the virus easily spreads with person-to-person contact.
The school briefly closed a cafeteria, but health officials quickly determined it was not a foodborne sickness. Instead, many students likely picked up the bug from hallmates or acquaintances. "Once someone on the floor got it, everyone got it," said a sickened freshman.
Meanwhile, USC ordered 3,000 bottles of hand sanitizer and 2,000 containers of sanitizing wipes to distribute today and throughout the week to prevent any more outbreaks.
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I want to agree with everybody! Just GREAT!!!
NOROVIRUS(ES)
What is the norovirus? A NOROVIRUS IS A VIRUS THAT CAN CHANGE AS MOST VIRUSES CAN. YOU CAN HAVE A CERTAIN NOROVIRUS THAT CAUSES GASTROENTERITIS AND GET A DIFFERENT NOROVIRUS WHICH CAN AGAIN CAUSE GASTROENTERITIS. THERE IS NO MEDICATION THAT WILL PREVENT THIS. THE BEST THING TO DO IS NOT GET IT TO BEGIN WITH. THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT THING ONE CAN DO TO PREVENT CONTRACTING NOROVIRUSES AND MANY OTHER ILLNESSES IS SO SIMPLE: WASH YOUR HANDS FREQUENTLY- BEFORE EATING, BEFORE TOUCHING YOUR FACE, AND AFTER ANY EXPOSURE TO HAND SHAKING, TOILETING... YOU GET THE IDEA. IT MAYBE TIRESOME AND SOUND TOO EASY TO DO IN ORDER TO AVOID MANY ILLNESSES, BUT IT IS WITHOUT A DOUBT THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE.
How is it spread?
IT IS SPREAD BY CONTAIMINATED FOOD (THE CHEF WHO IS SHEDDING NOROVIRUS CELLS, WENT TO THE TOILET AND FAILED TO WASH HIS HANDS AFTER, HAD EVEN THE MOST MINISCULE AMOUNT OF FECES ON HIS FINGER TIPS, TOUCHED YOUR FOOD DURING PREPARATION CONTAMINATING IT WITH THE NOROVIRUS,YOU EAT THE FOOD, YOU GET SICK. OR SOMEONE ILL WITH NOROVIRUS TOUCHES SOMETHING WHICH YOU THEN TOUCH, THEN YOU DONOT WASH YOUR HANDS AND TOUCH YOUR FOOD AND INGEST THE NOROVIRUS AND YOU BECOME ILL. THE FECES AND VOMITUS OF A PERSON SICK WITH THE NOROVIRUS IS EXTREMELY LOADED WITH NOROVIRUS CELLS AND IF ONE DOES NOT TAKE PRECAUTIONS WHEN CLEANING SAME ONE CAN EASILY CONTRACT AND SPRED THIS DISEASE. ONE SHOULD ALSO DISINFECT NOT JUST THE AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN CONTAMINATED WITH FECES OR VOMITUS, BUT ONE MUST DISINFECT ALL SUFACES SUCH AS COUNTERTOPS, HANDLES, FAUCETS, FLOORS, ETC.
What are the symptoms?
NAUSEA, VOMITING MAYBE MILD OR SEVERE AND SEVERAL TIMES, DIARRHEA, ABDOMINAL CRAMPING, IF FEVER IT IS USUALLY LOW, IF VOMITTING AND HAVING FREQUENT BOUTS OF DIARRHEA ONE MAY BECOME DEHYDRATED WHICH CAN CAUSE MORE NAUSEA. SOMETIMES ACHES, PAINS, HOT, COLD. ONE FEELS MISERABLE.
How deadly is it?
IF ONE HAS OTHER HEALTH ISSUES, IS IN POOR HEALTH OR IS VERY YOUNG OR ELDERLY THE SYMPTOMS AND COURSE OF THE DISEASE CAN BE MORE SEVERE AND CAUSE OTHER COMPLICATIONS. BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING ONE CAN RECOVER IN SHORT ORDER... 24 TO 48 HOURS OR SO.
What treatment is available?
ONLY SYMPTOMS CAN BE RELIEVED OR LESSENED WITH IV FLUIDS AND MEDS SUCH AS ANTIEMETICS (STOP YOU FROM FEELING AS NAUSEATED & VOMITING) SUCH AS COMPAZINE, ZOFRAN, ANZEMET AND OTHER ANTIEMETICS. ONE WILL BE TREATED ACCORDING TO SYMPTOMS AND SEVERITY OF SYMPTOMS AND COMPLICATIONS IF ANY, SUCH AS DEHYDRATION AND ELECTROLYTE IMBALANCES CAUSED BY FREQUENT VOMITING AND DIARRHEA. ONE MAY NEED NO TREATMENT AT ALL IF THEIR ILLNESS IS MILD AND SHORT. SYMPTOMS AND THEIR SEVERITY WILL VARY FOR EACH PERSON.
How many cases have there been in the United States? CANNOT EVEN IMAGINE... MANY CASES ARE UNREPORTED FOR VARIOUS REASONS.
In the world?
???
Has the disease spread outside the campuses listed?
I THINK IT IS REASONABLE TO SAY YES IT DID...
HOPE THIS HELPS. STAY HEALTHY!
USC
Um, excuse me. That's highly offensive. I go to USC and I do not support Obama.
You are rude. And so ignorant.
Obviously you were never a college student.
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