This article discusses several problems and concerns about the common virus called the Norovirus. A new strain has mutated called the Sydney strain. Sources say that the Norovirus is one of the most common food borne illnesses. The reason for this is because it is spread in the air, by contact and through fecal matter.
Restaurants serve as a crucial host to the virus. Studies have shown that dishes washed under restaurant conditions have still had the virus stuck to them and sticky cheeses have been the reason for this. If a restaurant employee uses the bathroom and does not wash their hands properly they can come back and prepare food for an entire meal and infect all of the people who come in contact with it. A lot of restaurants do not pay for sick days so employees still come to work when they are feeling ill. This is also a problem that contributes to the spread of the virus.
Since the Norovirus is also spread through fecal matter, this can affect doing laundry in the home. The article suggests that all laundry be washed with hot water and bleach to destroy the virus. If one article of infected clothing is washed with normal laundry, this contaminates the entire load. Then the family wears the infected clothes and can become ill with the virus. Bedsheets and towels are also subject to spread the virus. The virus lives on any surface and is very difficult to destroy. Door handles, remotes and other common items in the household could easily be infected and then transferred through human contact. Another study showed that a plastic bag in the bathroom of a home where an infected person threw up had been contaminated with the virus. This causes a huge problem with the virus being airborne and makes it easier to transmit to others.
The Norovirus is the most common cause of stomach upset. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, and fatigue. Simple cleaning alone will not kill the virus. There is no cure for it and no vaccine. Cleaning your hands with hand sanitizer alone will not even kill the virus. Washing your hands properly with hot water for more than 30 seconds at a time is stressed in the article to further prevent contamination and to kill what has already been contaminated. "Clearly, washing your hands is the key."
This article brings to mind a serious problem of contamination with viruses like this and many other diseases. A lot of people do not know how to properly wash their hands and do not realize the importance of it. The fact that restaurant workers are coming to work because they cannot afford to not get paid is a serious issue because of all the people that are put into jeopardy. The dangerous point with this virus is that you can infect people before you even feel sick.
The article stated that simple cleaning will not kill the virus and there is no way to physically see the virus on surfaces or in the air so this makes it harder to get rid of. New strains of viruses are especially dangerous because people do not know what they have or how it is spread. Our global health revolves around commonly spread diseases and human contact is the number one way to contaminate others. If people were more aware of common hand washing techniques and could apply them then it would decrease the spread of disease. This is a global issue because people travel from country to country and you can bring it on an airplane where people part ways afterwards. The virus stays with people as they travel on to their different destinations. With no vaccine, hand washing and awareness are the only ways to control the spread of disease. Our world needs to be more aware of the dangers of viruses and how when they mutate this could cause an international epidemic.
Jessilyn Bulla
February 1, 2013
4:31 pm
http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/28/16739631-norovirus-why-washing-your-hands-isnt-enough?lite
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