McMeen Elementary

Greetings McMeen Families,

Please read the following information from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment:

Think you have the “stomach flu” or a “stomach bug”? Think again because you might have norovirus, a common virus, which spreads very easily and quickly, but is not related to the flu.

The most common symptoms are:
● Diarrhea.
● Vomiting.
● Nausea.
● Stomach pain.

Norovirus is the leading cause of vomiting and diarrhea among people of all ages in the United States. Although most people develop only mild symptoms and recover without medical treatment, norovirus can be serious. Each year in the United States, norovirus causes, on average:

● 900 deaths, mostly among adults aged 65 and older.
● 109,000 hospitalizations.
● 465,000 emergency department visits, mostly in young children.
● 2,270,000 outpatient clinic visits annually, mostly in young children.
● As many as 21 million illnesses.

There is no medication to treat norovirus, but call your health care provider if you’re dehydrated and need treatment. It is important to stay hydrated when ill with norovirus.

Norovirus is transmitted by:

● Direct contact with someone who is ill with norovirus, such as caring for them.
● Touching surfaces that are contaminated with norovirus and then touching your
hands to your mouth.
● Eating food or drinking beverages that are contaminated with norovirus (either
in growing/production or by an ill food handler).
                          Outbreaks of norovirus are most common from November to April. Health officials investigate all reported outbreaks of norovirus, including those in child cares, schools, and residential/long-term care facilities. Children younger than 5 years and adults 85
years and older are more likely to have an urgent care or emergency department visit. However, anyone can be infected, and outbreaks of norovirus can happen anytime, anywhere.

Norovirus is very contagious. The best way to stop norovirus from spreading and protect yourself and your loved ones is to wash your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds with soap and water. Hand sanitizer alone is not effective against norovirus.
You can also protect yourself and the ones you love by:

● Rinsing fruits and vegetables.
● Cooking shellfish thoroughly.
You can also stop it from spreading once someone in your household is ill by:
● Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces with bleach or another product approved for
norovirus. Many cleaning products, including most wipes, do not work against
norovirus. Check the product label to see if norovirus is listed as being killed by
that product.
● Avoiding preparing food for others when you are ill and for two days after your
symptoms stop.
● Staying home when you’re ill and for two days after symptoms stop.
● Washing laundry in hot water.
You can get norovirus many times in your lifetime because there are many different
types of noroviruses. Infection with one type of norovirus may not protect you against
other types.