Norovirus 2023

[Amie H]

Attended a super bowl party Sunday. The Eagles lost, and so did I and 7 other attendees: we got Norovirus.

It's MISERABLE, you don't want this. My back still hurts from the violent hurling for 2 days.

I will say half of the attendees were small or school-aged children; I've not been around that many young kids since my daughter was in school.

The virus is spreading in pockets throughout the US so wash your hands often!

Norovirus, aka stomach flu, on the rise in the US: Know these signs

Norovirus causes vomiting and diarrhea. Here's what you need to know about symptoms, treatment and prevention.

www.today.com

 

[contesstant]

Yeah, it's bad this year. My daughter is massively paranoid about it so I have to avoid talking about it.
(And why does the media call it the stomach flu?! Gah!) Anyway, I'm sorry you caught it--nothing worse than a stomach virus...nothing! Feel better soon.

 

[MissySki]

Superbowl party with a bunch of kids.. someone probably had it and contaminated the food others ate. :(

Norovirus is the WORST!!!!! I had it years ago, pretty sure I got it from eating chili at Loon (@Amie H can't remember if this story came up when we were eating lunch at Beaver Creek because I had chili??). It came on extremely suddenly and was the most horrid I've ever felt for days. I couldn't keep anything down, not even the tiniest sip of water, yet I was soooooooo hungry and thirsty.

Ugh hope you feel better soon!

 

[Amie H]

@MissySki All I remember over lunch was band details that I, as a non-superfan, was not aware of!
I do remember you got the chili, though, and I had tea with my backpack lunch.

Yeah, assuming someone's hands didn't use utensils or have clean hands or whatever.

I am going to be more judicious about my interactions from now on. The last time I got this was when 10 years ago when my baby nephew had it and we all got sick over Christmas. At least this time, symptoms occurred once I was home, so I could convalesce and not worry about being well enough to travel.

Good luck and stay safe w upcoming travels!

@contesstant thanks so much for the well wishes.

 

[MissySki]

@MissySki All I remember over lunch was band details that I, as a non-superfan, was not aware of!
I do remember you got the chili, though, and I had tea with my backpack lunch.

Yeah, assuming someone's hands didn't use utensils or have clean hands or whatever.

I am going to be more judicious about my interactions from now on. The last time I got this was when 10 years ago when my baby nephew had it and we all got sick over Christmas. At least this time, symptoms occurred once I was home, so I could convalesce and not worry about being well enough to travel.

Good luck and stay safe w upcoming travels!

Oof traveling with it would be unimaginable! Glad it waited until you were home at least.

 

[Iwannaski]

Oof. Sending good vibes for recovery. I’ve had it and YOWZA it was brutal.

But also was super proud that I managed to have it without giving it to the family. Is that something of which one can be proud?

 

[Amie H]

@Iwannaski thanks!

My husband is super anxious bc he's supposed to fly to visit w our daughter Friday. So he is sleeping in the basement using main bathroom, I'm in the MBR. I ordered a delivery of various disinfectant sprays plus...extra toilet paper!

 

[contesstant]

@Iwannaski thanks!

My husband is super anxious bc he's supposed to fly to visit w our daughter Friday. So he is sleeping in the basement using main bathroom, I'm in the MBR. I ordered a delivery of various disinfectant sprays plus...extra toilet paper!

Isn’t bleach the only thing that kills it on surfaces?

I’d line up to get vaccinated against it if a vaccine was developed, I know that. I believe a vaccine is in development. (I think.)

 

[Amie H]

Isn’t bleach the only thing that kills it on surfaces?

I’d line up to get vaccinated against it if a vaccine was developed, I know that. I believe a vaccine is in development. (I think.)

Yes, I got a bleach mist spray, bleach tabs for toilets, and a small bottle of bleach for linens. etc.

 

[TNtoTaos]

Isn’t bleach the only thing that kills it on surfaces?

I’d line up to get vaccinated against it if a vaccine was developed, I know that. I believe a vaccine is in development. (I think.)

Yes, a vaccine is in the works. It's been spreading like wildfire this year, and many older and elderly people are getting it, too. I try to stay away from little kids as much as possible -- they're little walking culture plates, LOL. But hand washing is the most important protection against this virus, and being careful in situations where food is shared (parties, etc), and esp if you don't know whether the food was prepared/handled under hygienic conditions. I would also never let kids touch the food -- serve them individually, have them eat only off their own dishes, etc. A hassle to have to think about, but once you've had this virus, you'll never forget

 

[Amie H]

@TNtoTaos Yeah, not to sound anti-kid (I'm a mom,) but that is a hard pass for me to attend a party like that again, with other peoples' kids.

Interesting side note: just read that a Mt Airy Casino resort in the Poconos is going 21+ , as in no children in resort complex - hotel, pools, spa, restaurants, etc.

And today, AARP's digital newsletter featured a listicle on adults-only resorts, all of which were quite upscale. It's a bit humorous to me because in the 80s-90s when you heard "adults only resort" it wasn't the sort of place featured on AARP!

 

[Iwannaski]

I ran a school pta event on Tuesday am, and didn’t let any kids serve unpackaged food, only adults. The kids were a little salty about it, but I’m practical. They had jobs.

 

[Abbi]

@Amie H Feel better soon! You have my complete and total sympathy. I picked it up, probably in an airport, years ago. I was so sick. I was on the bathroom floor for a couple of days. By the time I got myself to an urgent care center they said there was hardly any electrolytes registering in my body! Get fluids in when you can.

 

[Amie H]

@Abbi Thanks. I'm drinking gatorade daily, and GI issues have finally calmed down. What you went through sounds awful!

 

[snoWYmonkey]

And today, AARP's digital newsletter featured a listicle on adults-only resorts, all of which were quite upscale. It's a bit humorous to me because in the 80s-90s when you heard "adults only resort" it wasn't the sort of place featured on AARP!

STDs are rampant in nursing homes nowadays and retirement communities as well. STDs and seniors this link shows the data.

No playing or working with snotty nosed kids, no dining out, no flirting into the sunset years...what's left? Skiing!

 

[elemmac]

@Amie H sounds like you're starting to feel better! Yay! The Norovirus is awful, but luckily it tends to pass quickly (apart from some lingering dehydration and fatigue).

The Noro went through Portillo when I was there in 2018. 5 people out of the 8 in my group ended up catching it. The first person to catch it had all of the "normal" symptoms the second day we were there. When the nausea/stomach issues cleared up, he still had an intense pain in his stomach. During the evening of the third day, he was transported to Santiago for hospital evaluation (during a snowstorm). Turns out his spleen was bruised and started to rupture. The triple-effect of him having sickle cell anemia (which apparently doesn't play well with elevation...but he didn't know that until this trip), spending a couple days at a 9500ft, AND catching the Norovirus...recipe for some rough times (he's recovered well though).

On Day 4 two more people from our group fell ill and were out of commission for approx. 24 hours. That evening when we went to dinner, the dining room wasn't even 1/2 full...quite eerie!

Then Day 5, myself and one other person from our group caught it. I'm fairly certain I caught it from burgers at lunch time, and we were both sick by dinnertime. We had a day trip in the heli planned for the next day (Day 6). I got to a point in the morning where I could keep down bland foods and some liquids...so went anyways...I was not going to miss our heli day! I was absolutely drained, but glad I went regardless. Dehydrated at 13,000ft is NOT something I would recommend....constantly drinking Gatorade was the goal for the day!

Some call Portillo "The Cruise Ship of the Andes", and the way a virus spreads on a cruise ship is exactly how it spreads in Portillo.

PS-this is not meant as a knock on Portillo...it's an amazing place, and I would 100% go again.

 

[Amie H]

@elemmac Wow! I cannot imagine the complications of becoming ill or injured abroad: language, insurance, transportation, etc.

Sounds like you made the most of the situation.

 

[elemmac]

@elemmac Wow! I cannot imagine the complications of becoming ill or injured abroad: language, insurance, transportation, etc.

Sounds like you made the most of the situation.

Luckily the one that went to the hospital had purchased travel insurance for $30. They covered everything except something like a $200 deductible. The insurance covered his hospital stay (almost two weeks), a trip for a family member to travel to be with him (flight, hotel and stipend), a first-class pod for the trip home, and they would have covered med-evac flight back to the states if they deemed he wasn't getting equivalent medical care to what he would receive at home. The insurance helped translate and communicate with the hospital too. Sounded like he had a good team behind him.

Despite everything...we still were asking ourselves when we're going to return again when we left (except for the one person that landed in the hospital...I don't think we'll be convincing him to go back). There were so many high-points of the trip, that we weren't going to let the norovirus be the star!

 

[Jenny]

I wonder if norovirus is what I had years ago, when I thought it was food poisoning. Could have been either, I guess, I just know I was never so sick in my life. At one point I woke up not knowing where I was - turned out I'd fallen asleep on the bathroom floor, in between bouts of expelling toxins. Couldn't (and didn't really want to) eat a thing for three to four days, and then it was only plain dry cheerios. Had a baggie in my pocket, like a toddler.

 

[RachelV]

Ugh, I'm sorry. We took a raft trip last year and the guides were obsessed with hand washing - you basically weren't allowed to touch any food until you'd washed your hands. My hands were a chapped mess by the end of the trip, but we were mainly grateful that they were very, very serious about no one getting norovirus. I'm not sure I've ever had the pukes as badly as some of the experiences in this thread.