Parents,

The information below consists of the most important facts you need to know about the norovirus. It is similar to the information in the attachment from the state. The Alaska Division of Public Health says students should remain at home until symptoms resolve and they feel better. The literature says that a person may be contagious for up to two weeks afterward symptoms resolve. If that is the case, exclusion until the virus is no longer contagious is impractical. Furthermore, you can contract a varied strain of the norovirus a few months after the first illness. Don’t dwell on that though! If you have (or recently had) the virus, as many of us have, drink plenty of fluids (when you can hold them down), get lots of sleep and think positively! 🙂 Anne

Important Facts about the Norovirus

Noroviruses are a group of viruses that can affect the stomach and intestines. These viruses can cause people to have gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach and the large intestines. Gastroenteritis is sometimes called food poisoning, even though it may not always be related to food. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps; children often vomit more than adults. A low-grade fever and headache are also possible.

Though norovirus can be passed via contaminated food and water, it is typically spread through physical contact with ill people or surfaces/objects (desk tops, computer keyboards, lockers, pencils, books), they may have touched. This includes shaking hands, caring for a sick family member, sharing food or eating from the same utensils, not washing hands after using the bathroom or changing diapers (the highly transmittable fecal-oral spread).

Unlike the flu or some other viruses, norovirus can last much longer outside the body. The virus can live on inanimate objects for days (or even weeks, I found from my research). People can touch these contaminated objects and become infected with the virus. Since norovirus can live ini contaminated food and water, it is a very hard virus to stop transmitting.

Once a person have been exposed to the virus, it takes anywhere from one to three days for symptoms to appear. Symptoms typically last only 24 to 48 hours, however, please keep up the good hygiene. I have read that people may be contagious for as long as TWO weeks after recovery.

To avoid coming down with the norovirus, first and foremost, wash your hands often with relatively hot water and soap. (Handwashing is usually more effective than hand sanitizer.) Wash your hands thoroughly before and after eating, after touching your face, after using the restroom, and whenever your hands are dirty. Limit person-to-person contact as much as possible. Wash your hands immediately after you touch someone’s hand.  Beyond that, avoid uncooked food as much as possible. Don’t share drinking glasses and eating utensils.

Hopefully, this virus will pass soon, as will the snow, and we can look forward to a real spring!

More info:  Norovirus%20FAQ-1

Please call me if you have any questions (742-4963). Anne