Georgia - Norovirus hits nursing homes and schools

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Norovirus hits nursing homes and schools

Posted:<SCRIPT type=text/javascript> wnRenderDate('Thursday, March 11, 2010 10:54 PM EST', '', true);</SCRIPT> Mar 11, 2010 9:54 PM CST <NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT><!--END wnDate-->Updated:<SCRIPT type=text/javascript> wnRenderDate('Thursday, March 11, 2010 10:54 PM EST', '', true);</SCRIPT> Mar 11, 2010 9:54 PM CST

By Tayleigh Davis - bio | email

ALBANY, GA (WALB) - Albany Health Care is encouraging visitors to stay away because some staff and residents are infected with the norovirus.

"It doesn't take a lot of time to infect someone because it's a very hardy virus, said Southwest Georgia District Health Director Jacqueline Grant.

The hardy virus spreads on surfaces and through human interaction causing nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, fever, and chills.

Albany Healthcare Administrator Denene Hurst is making sure staff clean all three floors of the nursing home.

"The Elderly people can be dehydrated and a small bug may be big to them," Hurst said.

Roughly 15 of 153 residents are sick with the virus. They're quarantined to one floor. Six to ten of 165 staff members were sent home with symptoms.

We asked them to go home and we're monitoring them to make sure they're over the bug before they return," Hurst added.
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More at:
http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=12128141

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Re: Georgia - Norovirus hits nursing homes and schools

Dougherty schools clean on furlough day

Posted:<SCRIPT type=text/javascript> wnRenderDate('Friday, March 12, 2010 1:59 PM EST', '', true);</SCRIPT> Mar 12, 2010 12:59 PM CST <NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT><!--END wnDate-->Updated:<SCRIPT type=text/javascript> wnRenderDate('Friday, March 12, 2010 3:16 PM EST', '', true);</SCRIPT> Mar 12, 2010 2:16 PM CST

ALBANY, GA (WALB) ? Dougherty County Schools took steps Friday to eliminate a highly contagious virus from its buildings.

After seeing widespread clusters of the Norovirus throughout southwest Georgia, health officials recommended schools do a through cleaning.

Dougherty County Schools clean their buildings nightly, but sent a message to head custodians to pay special attention to common areas.

Dougherty County Schools have 180 custodians to maintain their 31 building sites. That means each custodian is responsible for 19,000 square feet, and they take their jobs seriously.

Custodial teams are going through the school buildings, cleaning the floors, cleaning the rooms, cleaning the bathrooms.
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Full story at:

http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=12131335