Norovirus in Sonoma County Nursing Homes
According to a May 8 report from KCBS, eight Sonoma County nursing homes are dealing with norovirus outbreaks. 300 people have been sickened and one resident has died. There have been numerous incidences of norovirus in nursing homes and other senior care facilities this year. The Sonoma County nursing homes are trying to prevent further infection by limiting outside visitors and having the residents eat on paper plates with plastic utensils.
"Right now people are still really vigilant, they're working hard to control this and so on and so it's bound to get better. The question is what happens in a year when people's vigilance gets down again, it could happen again," said Dr. Lee Hall, director of Public Health for Sonoma County.
The symptoms of norovirus illness usually include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and some stomach cramping. Sometimes people additionally have a low-grade fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and a general sense of tiredness. The illness often begins suddenly, and the infected person may feel very sick. The illness is usually brief, with symptoms lasting only about 1 or 2 days. In general, children experience more vomiting than adults.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that about 20,000,000 people are stricken with Norwalk-like viruses (norovirus) each year. The number of confirmed victims of reported outbreaks is much smaller. This is due to victims thinking they have the "flu" and not seeking medical attention.
