A new strain of norovirus, a contagious stomach bug that is often confused with the flu, is spreading around campus, according to McKinley health professionals.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the illness causes the stomach or intestines, or both, to become inflamed, which leads to stomach pain, nausea and diarrhea. This illness is the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis in the United States.
Dr. Robert Palinkas, director of McKinley Health Center, said the new strain is a natural occurrence that happens every few years because of evolutionary changes in the virus and spreads more easily because people have less immunity to new strains. He said a new strain is generally more severe, and that the sickness is generally “self-limited,” with recovery in a few days.
“McKinley has seen a fair number of students with this illness since it is the most common form of acute diarrhea in our students and has been for many years,” Palinkas said. “This bug has been around here and all over for many years.”
Kevin Cohn, freshman in FAA, was infected with norovirus on Feb. 25 and said he found it difficult to manage classes.
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“I missed some of my classes that take attendance, and if I want to be excused, I have to actually go over to McKinley and get a pass,” Cohn said. “I have no idea where I got it from. It’s a mystery.”
Palinkas said the virus is easily passed from one person to another, which is part of the reason that it has affected so many students.
The virus is resilient and can pass from the hands of an infected person to any common surface, where it can then be picked up. It can also directly pass from one person to another by shaking hands and through contact with vomited material or feces. Simple hand washing is the best way to keep exposure down, Palinkas said.
“If you go to lecture halls, everyone is coughing and sneezing, which makes me kind of paranoid about being sick,” said Timmy Kosanda, freshman in DGS, who was also diagnosed with norovirus.
According to the CDC, there is no specific medicine to treat norovirus or a vaccine to prevent it. Because it is a viral infection, norovirus cannot be treated with an antibiotic. However, those infected should drink plenty of liquids to avoid dehydration, which can lead to serious problems and warrant hospitalization.
Brittany can be reached at [email protected].
