During the last couple of weeks, all we’ve heard on the news was related in one way or another to the huge outbreak of the so-called coronavirus. It started in China and had numerous negative impacts, taking more than 900 lives worldwide, with 40,000 people being infected.
Although the US is doing pretty good at keeping the coronavirus at bay, another issue arose within its borders — in the state of Louisiana, to be exact. The “norovirus,” as the medical experts call it, has been recorded more than 200 times, and all of the patients seem to be related to a casino located in the southwest.
The Louisiana Department of Health officially confirmed 200 cases, all of whom were patrons at the L’Auberge Casino, which is located in Lake Charles. The casino is located west of New Orleans, with the two places being approximately 200 miles apart.
Norovirus is basically a virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea and is described as a gastrointestinal illness. Stomach pain is often one of the symptoms directly related to this type of virus.
The Events In Casino Causing Norovirus?
According to Dr. Lacey Cavanaugh, a regional medical director of the department, there were several hundred people attending events at the casino during the first weekend of February. Out of all of them, at least 200 reported having symptoms that correlate to norovirus.
Moreover, Dr. Cavanaugh commented on the virus itself, claiming that a person can be contagious even before the first symptoms of the illness appear. She claims that the virus can be inactive for as long as three weeks before the first symptoms take place.
One of the biggest concerns that are currently troubling Dr. Cavanaugh is that the medical professionals are unable to find sufficient evidence about the origins of the virus. Although the event in the casino caused the virus to spread, somebody must have brought it there in the first place.
However, the doctor stated that finding the source was not the primary thing on their list. Instead, it’s trying to suppress the further spreading of the illness.
She added that the real message they needed to send is that people had picked up the illness in the casinos and that they were now spreading the virus to their family members. Therefore, she added that it didn’t matter how it all started, as the main focus ought to be stopping the transmission within the community.
Health officials are urging all people who visited the event in the casino to assume the proactive behavior and help with putting a stop to the further spreading of the virus. If you suspect that you might have contracted norovirus make sure to seek professional help.
Moreover, you should always wash your hands thoroughly and disinfect the potentially infected areas, preferably with a bleach-based cleaner.
If you visited the casino and suspect you might have norovirus, you should visit the website of the Department of Health. There, you will be able to take a survey which will tell you whether there’s a possibility you have norovirus.
If the results are positive, you should contact your local clinic or hospital and seek urgent medical attention.
Norovirus is highly contagious, but in most cases, it will not leave any severe consequences. However, elderly people and people that already have some health issues might see additional complications caused by this virus.
At this moment, there’s no reason to panic, but make sure to follow the news for further development of the situation.
