Journalists make news with viral outbreak
On January 11, approximately
350 student journalists from universities
and colleges across
Canada travelled to the Harbour
Tower Hotel and Suites in
Victoria, British Columbia, for the
annual Canadian University Press
(CUP) conference. The 74th annual
national conference (known as
Nash74) made news on the weekend
when a large number of delegates
became very sick with flulike
symptoms.
The outbreak began right before dinner on the night of January 14, and people continued to become sick throughout the awards ceremony, keynote speaker and conference gala. The gala was shut down around 10:30 p.m. because of the number of ill students.
By the next day, it was estimated that 60 students had become ill and 11 had gone to the hospital, and by January 18 that number increased to an estimated 75 sick delegates. The Vancouver Island Health Authority became involved in managing the outbreak of what was suspected to be norovirus, putting all those affected on voluntary quarantine.
Given all those infected were to remain in their rooms, CUP staff was faced with the challenge of how to provide up-to-date information to sick students. Ultimately, they turned to Twitter as their main platform for sharing information, using the hashtag #Nash74. This allowed for sick students to communicate any questions or needs they had with CUP staff without running the risk of infecting the students that were still healthy. Twitter also provided a source of information for the many media outlets that quickly arrived out front of the hotel, since they could not interview ill students in person.
According to Amy Pavletic, Public Health Inspector at the Middlesex London Health Unit, norovirus is easily spread through the stool and vomit of infected people. People can contract norovirus by touching surfaces that have been touched by infected people, through person-to-person contact or by eating food that has been prepared by someone who is sick.
As of January 17, the virus was not suspected to have been spread through the food at the hotel, and, rather, could have been brought in by a student who had contracted the virus prior to attending the conference. While norovirus is easily spread, there is a 12- to 48-hour incubation period when a person can be infected but not yet show symptoms — this was likely the period where norovirus was spread throughout the conference.
Though there is no treatment for the virus, symptoms typically only last 20 to 60 hours and include vomiting, watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps and nausea. Some may also experience muscle aches, fatigue, headache and low-grade fever and chills.
Although 11 students went to the hospital, Pavletic said that, for the most part, people can manage this illness on their own at home. However, norovirus can have more serious effects on young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems. "If they're not able to rehydrate themselves, then they should seek medical attention, but generally that doesn't need to happen," said Pavletic. As long as those who are ill can continue to sip clear liquids and stay hydrated, they should have a smooth recovery.
Since norovirus is not a reportable disease, there are no definite statistics on how many people have recently been infected, however, Pavletic said that norovirus is becoming recognized as the leading cause of gastrointestinal illness in Canada.
Though easily spread, Pavletic offered some ways to prevent contracting norovirus: "Thorough and frequent washing of hands, not preparing food for others if you're sick, you shouldn't be out (stay home from work, etc.), if you're taking care of someone who is sick, don't come in direct contact with their stool or vomit and make sure you sterilize the bathroom."
As of January 17, it was estimated that 15 hotel staff and two of the conference speakers had also become ill. Most of the sick Nash74 delegates who had planned to return home on January 15 had to remain at the hotel for an extra night or two. Many of the healthy delegates travelled home as soon as possible, but unfortunately, a few tweeted of becoming ill upon returning home.
For more information on norovirus visit tinyurl.com/MLHUnorovirus, and check out #Nash74 on Twitter to see the tweets from the outbreak at Nash74.
The outbreak began right before dinner on the night of January 14, and people continued to become sick throughout the awards ceremony, keynote speaker and conference gala. The gala was shut down around 10:30 p.m. because of the number of ill students.
By the next day, it was estimated that 60 students had become ill and 11 had gone to the hospital, and by January 18 that number increased to an estimated 75 sick delegates. The Vancouver Island Health Authority became involved in managing the outbreak of what was suspected to be norovirus, putting all those affected on voluntary quarantine.
Given all those infected were to remain in their rooms, CUP staff was faced with the challenge of how to provide up-to-date information to sick students. Ultimately, they turned to Twitter as their main platform for sharing information, using the hashtag #Nash74. This allowed for sick students to communicate any questions or needs they had with CUP staff without running the risk of infecting the students that were still healthy. Twitter also provided a source of information for the many media outlets that quickly arrived out front of the hotel, since they could not interview ill students in person.
According to Amy Pavletic, Public Health Inspector at the Middlesex London Health Unit, norovirus is easily spread through the stool and vomit of infected people. People can contract norovirus by touching surfaces that have been touched by infected people, through person-to-person contact or by eating food that has been prepared by someone who is sick.
As of January 17, the virus was not suspected to have been spread through the food at the hotel, and, rather, could have been brought in by a student who had contracted the virus prior to attending the conference. While norovirus is easily spread, there is a 12- to 48-hour incubation period when a person can be infected but not yet show symptoms — this was likely the period where norovirus was spread throughout the conference.
Though there is no treatment for the virus, symptoms typically only last 20 to 60 hours and include vomiting, watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps and nausea. Some may also experience muscle aches, fatigue, headache and low-grade fever and chills.
Although 11 students went to the hospital, Pavletic said that, for the most part, people can manage this illness on their own at home. However, norovirus can have more serious effects on young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems. "If they're not able to rehydrate themselves, then they should seek medical attention, but generally that doesn't need to happen," said Pavletic. As long as those who are ill can continue to sip clear liquids and stay hydrated, they should have a smooth recovery.
Since norovirus is not a reportable disease, there are no definite statistics on how many people have recently been infected, however, Pavletic said that norovirus is becoming recognized as the leading cause of gastrointestinal illness in Canada.
Though easily spread, Pavletic offered some ways to prevent contracting norovirus: "Thorough and frequent washing of hands, not preparing food for others if you're sick, you shouldn't be out (stay home from work, etc.), if you're taking care of someone who is sick, don't come in direct contact with their stool or vomit and make sure you sterilize the bathroom."
As of January 17, it was estimated that 15 hotel staff and two of the conference speakers had also become ill. Most of the sick Nash74 delegates who had planned to return home on January 15 had to remain at the hotel for an extra night or two. Many of the healthy delegates travelled home as soon as possible, but unfortunately, a few tweeted of becoming ill upon returning home.
For more information on norovirus visit tinyurl.com/MLHUnorovirus, and check out #Nash74 on Twitter to see the tweets from the outbreak at Nash74.
