Norwalk Virus Hits the Boston Area Hard

[mcnuss]

For those of you interested in the state of the Norwalk virus, this article from the front page of today's Boston Globe talks about the near epidemic numbers of NLV sufferers this year. Note also the part that says that this is a completely preventable disease with proper handwashing!

It's not just the cruise lines folks!

http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/007/metro/Norwalk_stomach_virus_hits_area_hard+.shtml

 

[Minybear]

Thanks for posting the article.

I wish they would develope a vaccine for this virus like they have done for the flu shot.

 

[allshookup]

Mind you, that's just the reported cases in this area. Just about everyone I talk to around here has had some form of a stomach bug in the last few weeks, but nobody has gone to the hospital. My children got it, my husband appeared to get a mild case, and I got a horrible case. I had severe pains and was terrribly weak for 4 or 5 days. With 2 kids and a lot of house cleaning, I wash my hands frequently. So much so that my hands are usually dry and splitting. Everytime I cleaned up after my children when they were sick, the first thing I did was run to the anitbacterial soap. Well it didn't prevent it from getting me so I think they might be exaggerarting the "completely preventable" thing.

 

[debbiebones]

We leave for our cruise in two weeks and it looks like the bug is making its way through our household right now. But we seem to have only gotten a mild case. My 4 year old daughter was sick w/vomitting all day on Tuesday, seemed better Wednesday, then became ill again very early this morning. I've been feeling a bit queasy but haven't experience a full-blown illness in the past few days, and neither my husband nor my 2 1/2 year old son have experienced anything yet!

The weird thing is, my husband and the 2 kids are home together every day as I work. Seems they should all somehow be affected. I'm really curious about the way it seems to have hopped around our family and I'm also wondering if there's still a chance the rest of us will be affected.

I guess the good thing is, better to get it now than in 2 weeks!

Thanks for listening....

Deb

 

[diathoney]

I picked it up when we were in New Orleans (cruise ships do stop there). It lasted on and off for about 2 weeks. I'm also a chronic handwasher. No one else in my family was got sick - thank goodness.

 

[BethC1952]

One of my co-workers and his wife were both diagnosed with it yesterday, and my secretary just went home now, and a third co-worker isn't sure he's going to make it through the afternoon. They were all teasing me when I went on my cruise last month, and now it looks like I'm the only one who doesn't have it.

Hmm...I think I'll start a rumor that cruising on Wonder prevents NLV! LOL

Beth

 

[tlgoblue]

Deb
Sorry to hear of your NLV. Hope you are all doing better soon. Are you packed yet? Flues put a real damper on planning and packing! PD for a speedy recovery and no further outbreaks! See you soon!

Tracy

 

[debbiebones]

Hi Tracy,

Thanks for the good wishes! Actually, I just turned our dining room into "packing central" several days ago : ). It's been so fun because I bought a bunch of "end of the summer" clothing for the kids and my husband and I've been cutting tags and coordinating new outfits. Funny, I forgot to look for new things for myself (typical) : )

I can't believe we leave 2 weeks from today (overnight stay Thursday at Detroit Metro Airport in the new hotel and Friday morning flight into Orlando). It's like Christmas all over again!

See you in 2 weeks!

Deb

 

[tlgoblue]

Hey Deb,
You mentioned that you were working at the Auto show. In what capacity might I ask? My Sister-in-law used to work for GM as a Model at the Show. Was wondering if you might know her.

Tracy

 

[Cindyluwho]

I read the entire article and was amazed by the comment about the Norwalk virus being totally preventable. If you read the articles on the CDC website they cleary state that it can and does become airborne when someone vomits. There's even a very interesting column on their site about a busload of people who came down with it after just ONE person vomited in the aisle of the bus. Another interesting note: you can get it and be asymptomatic (showing no symptoms). Ater our Nov 16th cruise with all the people sick our Dr told us that we'd probably test positive for the virus, and that we just didn't get the symptoms. After you get it, you're supposedly immune for awhile. Thank goodness it's over pretty quickly for folks that are reasonable healthy.

 

[debbiebones]

Hi Tracy,

Actually, I'm lucky enough to work at it during media week...a great time to go because it's before it opens to the public. We do a news show here at GM for employees titled, "GM DriveTime" and I fill in as an anchor/slash reporter for the show.

It's really neat to cover it when they're taking the wraps off of the vehicles for the media.

Does your sister-in-law still do any modeling work here in town? My husband used to do a lot of on-camera stuff but now he mostly does commercial voiceovers.

Deb

 

[tlgoblue]

Deb,
Sounds like a great position! My sister-n-law no longer works. She's full time Mom now. I think she last worked about 6 years ago, before her second was born. (Not that she couldn't still work, beautiful as she still is.) Well, I really need to get off this board for a while. Life is flying by me!

See ya!!!

Tracy

 

[tezb]

The funny thing about stomach bugs is that they could be from anything. It may not necessarily be the Norwalk Virus...it could be gastroenteritis or food poisoning. They all have the same symptoms and hard to pinpoint the illness/cause. My doctor told me once that you cannot become immune to a stomach bug..unfortunately. You may not get it as bad, but you can get it more than once in a short time. Hand washing still is the key..and not just after you clean up a mess...you also have to think about everything you touch and come in contact with in your house. I do agree though, if more people just simply practiced good handwashing..esp after using the bathroom, less people would be exposed to these germs.

 

[Talky_Tina]

We were in WDW from Dec. 3-7. On the plane ride coming home, we weren't in the air more than 15 mins when it became obvious that 6 people from 2 families in the rows directly in front of us were vomiting like crazy and had to make several trips to the bathroom. Many of us volunteered our vomit bags as they were going thru them like nobody's business. The flight attendants spent the entire flight up and down the isle collecting waste from sick passengers. It wasnt only the 6 people in front of us... there were more sick passengers up ahead. The flight attendants ran out of those large silver waste bags towards the end of the flight. The toddler across the isle looked like she might be dehydrated and I wouldnt be surprised if she needed medical attention when she got home. It was the flight from hell.

I spoke to the mother of five of the sick children. She told me they had stayed at the Beach Club in WDW and were told this was where the sick people from the DCL cruise had stayed (whether they meant crew or passengers, I do not know). Talk about air borne and direct contact! Being right behind the sick passengers, sometimes their pillows and jackets would fall into our seating area. We were inches away from them as they would pause in the isles waiting to get by on the way to the bathroom. I was like a fiend with the baby wipes, which I had brought on the flight. I was convinced we would all be sick and as bad as I felt for those passengers, I was very tense throughout the entire flight. I drove my kids nuts if I saw their hands go anywhere near their mouths or anything lol. Guess what! None of us got sick.

I only write this to let you know that it is possible to be in direct contact with this virus in an enclosed area like an airplane and not get sick. No one was more surprised than we were. On a final note... it wasnt until Christmas week that we came down with a different type of flu .. the achy fever coughing one.. that had nothing to do with the infamous DCL flu. I am still thanking my lucky stars and hope we are as lucky on our upcoming cruise.

TT

 

[tezb]

TT- that trip sounds awful...for you guys and the sick passengers! I don't like seeing people vomit so I would have been very uncomfortable also. They could have also had food poisoning...if maybe they all ate the same thing, etc. hard to tell. Yes it is possible to be in close qtrs and NOT get the bug..or some do and some don't...just depends..and like I said before, they may not have even been contagious if they had a food poisoning.

When my son was much younger, he had a vomiting flu and his younger toddler brother drank out of his glass while he had been sick. I thought for sure he would catch it but never did..go and figure that...unless my sick son wasn't contagious and had something else??