Georgia Long-Term Care Facility Limits Visitors Because Of Norovirus

Posted on May 20, 2009 by Norovirus Attorney

 A norovirus outbreak at the Columbus, GA-based Gardens at Calvary means people will have to limit their visits to the long-term care facility.

Several residents at the Gardens are ill with norovirus. The voluntary limit on the number of visitors entering the home took effect last week as control measures were implemented.

The Gardens at Calvary is located on Moon Road in Columbus.  The local health department issued the following information to the public:

Noroviruses are found in the stool or vomit of infected people. People can become infected with the virus in several ways, including:

  • eating food or drinking liquids that are contaminated with norovirus;
  • touching surfaces or objects contaminated with norovirus, and then placing their hand in their mouth;
  • having direct contact with another person who is infected and showing symptoms (for example, when caring for someone with illness, or sharing foods or eating utensils with someone who is ill).
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Norovirus Outbreak At Elementary School In Washington State

Posted on May 14, 2009 by Norovirus Lawyer

Up in the most northwest corner of the United States, officials at the Eagle Creek Elementary School in Arlington, WA are happy to be sending in the cleaning crews to scrub things down.

That's because the 100 students and staff who got sick at the school have Norovirus, not the Swine Flu. It's just another reminder that the Norovirus season is not over yet.

The Snohomish County Health District says about 20 percent of the elementary school's student body plus some staff members are ill.  They are suffering all the Norovirus symptoms including  nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps. Symptoms typically last one to two days

The Everett Herald has a story here.

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Holland, MI Parties Like Norovirus Is All In Its Past; And There Is No Swine Flu In Its Future

Posted on May 4, 2009 by Norovirus Attorney

This past weekend in Holland, MI, "town and gown" activities included Hope College's graduation and class reunions; and the annual Tulip Festival.   Out of concern for Swine Flu, there was no kissing at graduation.   Handshakes, however, were encouraged.

And while there were already a couple of confirmed cases of Swine Flu in Michigan, and certain to be more as this week goes forward, Hope College enjoyed a worry-free celebration weekend.  So much different  than last November when a norovirus outbreak closed down the Holland campus and made more than 500 people sick.  We first reported on the Hope College outbreak here.

The Grand Rapids Press reported that: "Visitors were either unaware or not worried about 10 probable cases of swine flu among Hope students, announced late Friday afternoon by the Ottawa County Health Department."

"Everybody is more aware after that (norovirus) experience, says Jonathan Hagood, 34, who teaches Latin American history at Hope. Since that outbreak, hand-washing and hand-sanitation stations were added around the campus.

"We are seeing a more proactive response because as a campus we had a trial run," he said.

For more about the big weekend in Holland, check this out.

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