An outbreak of Norovirus, commonly known as the stomach flu, has hit a Luzerne County school extremely hard. Roughly 200 students at the Valley Elementary School in Hazelton are sick, that’s roughly 20% of the student body.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health is monitoring other school districts for similar outbreaks, but so far non have been confirmed. The Pennsylvania Physicians General, Carrie Delone, said the Norovirus is an aggressive illness.
“Norovirus is very contagious. We see about twenty million cases in the United States every year. There are seventy thousand hospitalizations and we can see up to eight hundred deaths annually” said Delone.
Symptoms include vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea. The Physicians General said it’s crucial to stay hydrated when stricken with the virus.