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Nearly a third of the students at Medea Creek Middle School in Oak Park, Calif., have missed class since last Thursday as a highly contagious gastrointestinal virus makes its way around the school.
Parent Melinda Pittler carries a bottle of waterless hand sanitizer with her wherever she goes. She and other parents at the Oak Park school started carrying the germ-killing liquid since the norovirus began spreading through the school last week.
So far, some 320 students have called out sick. On Monday alone, 90 kids were absent.
“My daughter’s friend is home with it right now, we think,” Pittler said. “I’m concerned. It’s going around very quickly.”
Ventura County health officials believe some of the 320 sick calls to Medea Creek Middle School were made as a precaution to avoid becoming ill. Some adults at the school have also been sickened by the virus, the origin of which is under investigation. Officials are probing the possibility that it could be related to food contamination.
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Norovirus causes stomach, intestines or both to get inflamed and can cause diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and stomach pains, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It spreads quickly through contact with the virus, which can live on surfaces, in contaminated water and food, and in the air.
The virus can lead to dehydration. Young children, older adults and people with other illnesses are most vulnerable to the virus. Most people who contract norovirus get better within one to three days.
Those sickened with the virus are contagious for at least 48 hours after symptoms go away, according to the CDC.
Health officials say hand washing and general cleanliness are the best ways to protect against the virus.
It’s suspected that a single student, who became ill last Tuesday, may have introduced the virus to Medea Creek Middle School simply by being with others in the cafeteria.
So far, the virus has only been reported at Medea Creek but health officials are warning residents – especially families and siblings of Medea Creek students – to clean surfaces at home with disinfectant and wash their hands thoroughly and often.
Student Ofek Schmoof says he washes his hands several times a day at his mother’s advisement. The Schmoof family says they’ll continue that habit, especially with the norovirus making the rounds.
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According to a letter sent home to parents, desks, doors and other surfaces at the school are being sanitized daily and hand sanitizers are available in every classroom. A school dance planned for Friday was cancelled so a large group would not gather, potentially spreading the virus.
“There's a bunch of hand sanitizer and when I go to the bathroom there is a lot of soap over there,” Schmoof said. “They just want everyone to be clean.”
No hospitalizations have been reported among the students or staff at Medea Creek, and there are no plans to close the school.
Some parents of Los Angeles Unified School District students say their children or their children's classmates have contracted norovirus, though the district had not issued a health warning as of Monday, according to Daryl Strickland with LAUSD.
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Leave a Comment:
Ask all the cafeteria workers where they've been over the last few weeks. Any of them go on a cruise? Trip to Mexico?
Why didn't they just close the school for a week, thoroughly clean it and then resume school? What is the point of doing this cycle of illness?
Dman115
Most of them are immigrants, of course they all just got back from a trip to Mexico.
You just said more than you know. The CDC is not telling us about the impact of illegal immigration on our general health and the sudden increase in contagious deseases in the US. I have done some research of my own and I have tracked the whooping cough epidemic in the North West to illegal immigration as well. CDC is also under the obama administration. Another deadly cover up.
OMG, you must get all your news from Fox News; it is a virus that spreads naturally. How many times a day do you touch your face with your hands without washing them, more than likely it is in the hundreds. Depending on the protein coating in the virus's membrane it can live on surfaces for hours. Any surface that you touch can lead to infection. Do more research by reading a biology book or asking a science teacher or college professor.
@TTR, Whooping Cough in the NW has been traced to a bunch of hysterical, helicopter parents who refuse to get their kids vaccinated based on anecdotal, internet blogs. They are mainly educated (sic) white folks. I am sure you know much more about this then us brain dead sheep, correct? Are you an trained epidemiologist or just another "find what I want on the internet to fit my world view" type person? Wow.
A COMPLETE UNTRUTH! Over 80% of the kids that got whopping cough in those areas are FULLY vaccinated and up to date on their shots. OOPS! How did they get it if they have been vaccinated?? If you and your children are fully vaccinated why the heck do you care what someone else does? You should not be getting any of these diseases correct? Do not tell me anything about "herd immunity" there are many studies that say they support that theory and many that say they have disproven that theory as well. Got to love science, not everything is "exact" when it come to science.
And you are correct, the majority of the people who chose not to vaccinate are highly educated! You may think they are "kooks" but the last time I checked your doctor would also be considered highly educated and you probably believe everything he or she tells you.
Well this sure can spread like wildfire, Although not violent enough to wipe out civilization..
This is California this State usually leads this Country in everything from environment to debt
When you visit California now Don't Drink the Water..
Lucky kids, I loved sick days when I was in school.
Yeah but who wants to spend the day pissin out your ass!
My youngest had this once, during an outbreak at his daycare center when he was a little guy. Nasty for sure, packinp40!
One very important “House Rule” should always be to thoroughly wash your hands as soon as you enter your home. Wash your hands before you touch ANYTHING in your house. You walk into your house and straight to the sink. You have been to the store, the mall, the game, work, school, on the bus, the doctors, etc. and you walk in the house; you better be thoroughly washing your hands before you spread out side germs around your house and to your family. Same rule applies if you walk into a hospital, nursing home or daycare; wash your hands first and then go about your business; to protect the weak. Remember this trick and your flu season just might be a “better season“.
Medea Creek Middle School Officials (Principal Bran Benioff) and Oak Park School District needs to be commended for their quick and thorough response. As a parent who had two children from Medea and a husband out with the virus, I was more than satisfied with the precautions they took to ensure spreading was minimized. Good news: 3rd kid and I have not gotten it and boy, are we glad!
They are very good at Medea Creek and the OPUSD. I used to work at district in the maintenance dept. IT IS VERY HARD WORK!!! They have so much on their plates with all the schools in the district and repairs, putting out letters, down to the stuff they have to do when they spray for bugs. IT IS AMAZING THE WORK THEY DO!!! THEY ARE GREAT!!! I can only imagine the phone calls and harassment and emails and more that they are dealing with, on top of trying to get the campus clean, sanitized, etc. Please understand where they are coming from and how much work they have. Maintenance, down to food services. I also went to Brookside, Medea Creek and graduated Oak Park. It is a great place to raise your kids, great schools and staff on all levels and schools there. Thanks everyone who works for OPUSD!!!!
viruses spread, that's just life. It sucks for anyone to get sick, but so glad to hear the school is working to get it under control.
It's the gol durn turrurists!
Or wait....maybe it's Obamas fault!
No! It's the republicans fault!
Wait....who's the bad guy supposed to be today?
LOL!
Sponge Bob Square Pants
The sooner they develop a safe vaccine for this the better. I am the supreme barf-a-phobic.
Aren't hand sanitizers just anti-BACTERIAL? If so, the hand sanitizers wouldn't be effective against the noroVIRUS.
yeah, hand sanitizers do not kill noro-virus.