Norovirus sickens students, staff at Buckman school
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PORTLAND, Ore. – The norovirus has likely sickened dozens of students and staffers at Buckman Elementary School in Southeast Portland, according to health officials.
Dr. Amy Sullivan, Manager of Communicable and Disease Services for Multnomah County, said they are investigating and working to confirm a "cluster of cases" at the school.
A number of people came down with nausea and diarrhea, symptoms very similar to the flu, Sullivan said, but she added it does appear the illness is being caused by norovirus. She said a low-grade fever can also be a sign of the virus.
Norovirus is highly contagious and is easily spread if anyone handling food does not wash their hands, Sullivan said.
She said the agency usually sees a few schools get hit by the virus each year.
Sullivan said she encourages parents to keep kids at home if they are showing symptoms. "Hand washing, hand washing, hand washing" is the best way to limit the spread of the virus, she added.
Anyone contracting the virus should drink a lot of water to flush it out of their bodies and offset the dehydrating effects of the virus, especially if the sufferers are very young children and the elderly, Sullivan said.
- More on norovirus from the Centers for Disease Control
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Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands. Â I'm appalled at how many people think nothing of licking their fingers while they're eating, or serving food to others. Or how they eat off each other's plates at school. Â I do see food workers wearing plastic gloves, as they should, BUT then they wipe their mouth and face wearing the gloves (sorta defeats the purpose.) Â All it takes is one sick person to use the bathroom, not wash their hands, then touch the door handle, etc, for everyone to get sick. Â That is how everyone gets the norovirus on cruises. Â It's a horrible horrible virus, and even tho the symptoms go away in a day or two, you feel generally weak for weeks. Â Oh, and WASH YOUR HANDS!!! Â (and please, don't stick your fingers in your mouth, or lick your fingers before you count money back to customers, oh, and don't wear your food prep gloves when you work the register (I see that all the time at places like Qdoba and subway, where the food prep people use the register.) Â And for everyone else.. just wash your hands before you eat, with hot water and soap. Â
"Norovirus is highly contagious and is easily spread if anyone handling food does not wash their hands..."
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Doesn't the county require Food Handlers' Permits anymore? Aren't people being trained properly in food prep and handling?
 @Old29 But they totally ignore it. Even in a study with doctors at a hospital they found a shocking percentage of them (by camera) not washing their hands! Everyone needs to wash their hands and nag/question friends/family/etc. about hand-washing as well. More people use their seat belts in cars than wash hands after using the bathroom.
Ask me about my explosive diarrhea!Â
@Beergod I won't ask but I bet you're doing laundry right now.
"Hand washing, hand washing, hand washing"
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OCD people don't get sick as often as you think.
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 @Repoman Maybe not but they go through more soap.