Norovirus Closes Seattle Elementary School: How To Avoid The 'Stomach Flu'

SEATTLE, WA - Seattle's John Muir Elementary was closed for two days this week due to an outbreak of norovirus, a wicked gastrointestinal illness that can spread rapidly among people in close quarters - it has been referred to as the "Ferrari of viruses" by scientists.

The school district says that John Muir has been cleaned, but the school remained closed because so many students and staff were sick.

Norovirus sickens some 20 million people in the U.S. each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control, leading to thousands of hospitalizations and hundreds of deaths. The virus causes acute gastrointestinal inflammation, which leads to vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and just generally feeling pretty awful for about 48 hours.

There are a few misconceptions about norovirus. Knowing how the virus behaves and how it's transmitted can help you avoid this nasty bug. Here are some tips from the Centers for Disease Control and the King County Health Department:

• You can get norovirus from a very small amount of the virus - you can even get it by being near someone who is vomiting. Norovirus can travel in the air through aerosolized vapor; you can also get it by coming into contact with stool. Food prepared by a sick person is also a very common route of transmission.
• There are many strains of the virus, so it's possible to get sick multiple times in the same season. There is no vaccine, and the body's immune system loses resistance after about six weeks.
• Norovirus can live for a very long time on surfaces like doorknobs, toilet handles, and faucets. The only way to kill the virus is with a chlorine bleach solution and a few specialized cleaning products, like Lysol disinfectant spray.
• The virus is also easily transmitted by shaking hands, so it's important to wash your hands with soap and warm water if you are sick or of you come into contact with someone who is. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are ineffective at killing norovirus.
• Norovirus is sometimes called "stomach flu" - but the virus is not related to seasonal influenza, and the regular flu shot will not protect you from norovirus. There are plenty of other viruses and bacteria that can cause illness similar to norovirus, like salmonella and E. coli. The only way to confirm an infection is with a test.

If you're feeling a little queasy, rest assured you're in good company. There are norovirus outbreaks all over the U.S. right now from a college in Rochester, N.Y., to a long-term care facility in Hawaiilong-term care facility in Hawaii.

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