PITTSBURGH — There’s been an uptick in Norovirus cases, an extremely contagious stomach bug.
Channel 11 spoke with an AHN doctor about who’s at risk and how to protect yourself from the virus.
“It’s all over the schools. It’s everywhere,” a local parent said.
Parents in our area are reacting to the rise in Norovirus cases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports there’s been a nationwide increase of the illness, commonly known as the stomach flu.
Dr. Brian Lamb with Allegheny Health Network said the surge is due to the holidays and a lot of people gathering inside because it’s cold.
“We tend to see outbreaks like this on cruise ships all the time, we see it in prisons and daycares, we see it in dorms. Anywhere where people are in a very close contact with each other,” Dr. Lamb said.
Dr. Lamb said common symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain, body ache, headache, and fever.
He’s been getting more patients infected with the virus that spreads easily through sharing food or utensils.
“For most people, you are getting it because someone didn’t wash their hands and then touched the same thing you put in your mouth,” he said.
People of all ages can get it. There’s no treatment so Dr. Lamb encourages those who are infected to stay hydrated. He said the best way to protect yourself is washing your hands.
“Hand washing that’s all you can do. Right now, I work at a school. My son is a senior, that’s basically all you can do,” a local parent said.
Dr. Lamb also shared some advice for families on how to prevent their kids from getting sick when they go back to school after the new year.
“When they go back to school, make sure they wash their hands before they eat lunch. Don’t share your food with other kids for the first couple weeks back to protect yourself a little bit,” Dr. Lamb said.
Dr. Lamb most people infected with norovirus get better within one to three days.
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