Everything you need to know about the norovirus

SPREADING LIKE WILDFIRE THROUGHOUT THE NORTHEAST WITH A POSITIVITY RATE OVER 15. NOW, TO PUT THAT NUMBER INTO PERSPECTIVE, AN ENTIRE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THE IRVING PRIMARY SCHOOL IN HIGHLAND PARK, NEW JERSEY, WAS FORCED TO CLOSE DOWN BECAUSE TOO MANY STUDENTS WERE GETTING SICK AND THE SCHOOL UNDERWENT A DEEP CLEANING AFTERWARDS. SO WHAT CAN WE DO TO PROTECT OURSELVES? >> SO DOCTOR DARREN SUTTON IS HERE NOW TO TALK MUCH MORE ABOUT THIS. THANKS SO MUCH FOR STOPPING BY THIS AFTERNOON. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. AND AS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IN THE COMMERCIAL BREAK, THIS IS NOROVIRUS. HAND

SANITIZER IS NOT GOING TO HELP YOU WITH THIS. >> AND THAT’S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND. HAND SANITIZER UNFORTUNATELY IS NOT EFFECTIVE IN GETTING RID OF THIS VIRUS. THAT’S WHEN SOAP AND WATER COMES INTO PLAY. BUT LET’S JUST TAKE A STEP BACK. SO THIS IS A VERY INFECTIOUS VIRUS AND WE KNOW IT VERY COMMONLY FROM THOSE CRUISE SHIPS INCIDENTS WHERE WE HAVE AN ENTIRE CRUISE SHIP THAT IS UNFORTUNATELY DOCKED BECAUSE THIS VIRUS IS TRAVELING AROUND SO QUICKLY AND IT’S OFTEN DONE FROM JUST SIMPLY TOUCHING CONTAMINATED SURFACES. RIGHT. WELL, SHAKING HANDS, TOUCHING A DOORKNOB, CHANGING A DIAPER OF

A CHILD WHO IS INFECTED AND THEN UNFORTUNATELY, TRANSFERRING THAT TO SOMEONE ELSE. AND THE SYMPTOMS INCLUDE NAUSEA, VOMITING, DIARRHEA, VERY COMMONLY. AND THEN ALSO PREVENTION WASHING HANDS IS REALLY QUITE

SIMPLE AND JUST PAYING ATTENTION TO YOUR SYMPTOMS. IF YOU FEEL SYMPTOMATIC, ISOLATING YOURSELF FROM OTHERS. >> YEAH, THIS IS A VERY SPECIFIC CASES THAT WE’RE DEALING WITH. NOW. AS I MENTIONED, 15% IN THE NORTHEAST WITH A POSITIVE RATE SUDDENLY HAPPENING WITHIN A SHORT TIME PERIOD. ANY REASON WHY THIS AREA IS SUDDENLY GETTING HIT LIKE THAT? >> I THINK IT’S UNFORTUNATE AND UNFORTUNATE COINCIDENCE. WE SEE THE

BALLOON OF THESE EVENTS. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SEE ONE CASE IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM, I CAN JUST EXPECT THAT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY THERE WILL BE OTHER PEOPLE INFECTED. THIS ACCOUNT FOR MORE THAN 500,000, ALMOST A HALF A MILLION EMERGENCY VISITS EACH. AND EVERY YEAR, ALMOST 100,000 HOSPITALIZATIONS. SO IT’S SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT TO BE MINDFUL OF WHEN I NOTICE THAT THE RATES ARE HIGH IN MY EMERGENCY ROOM, THAT’S WHEN I’M WASHING MY HANDS A LOT MORE. >> SO LET’S REVIEW HOW TO WASH OUR HANDS. HOW MANY SECONDS SHOULD WE BE LATHERING UP? >> YOU KNOW, I

KNOW, I KNOW AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE BEST WAY IS TO SING HAPPY BIRTHDAY. >> THAT’S WHAT WE DO IN THE HOSPITAL. I THINK THAT ALLOWS YOU TO REMEMBER THAT YOU’VE WASHED YOUR HANDS ENOUGH. AND AGAIN, IT’S WASHING BETWEEN YOUR FINGERS USING AGGRESSIVE SOAP AND WATER. THE TOP OF YOUR HAND AND JUST SIMPLY ACTIVELY DOING IT INSTEAD OF I HATE THE RINSE AND GO. YOU GOT TO AVOID THAT. YOU HAVE TO STOP AND WASH. >> I’M NOT A GOOD SINGER, SO I COUNT TO 20. OH THAT’S GREAT TO ME. >> THAT’S GREAT TO.

>> IF YOU’RE A PARENT, YOU’VE GOT A SICK KID AT HOME. YES. HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN IT IS THAT YOU SHOULD BE TAKING YOUR KID TO THE DOCTOR? IF THEY HAVE THIS? >> A GREAT QUESTION. I THINK LOOKING FOR SIGNS OF DEHYDRATION FOR LITTLE KIDS. IF THEY’RE CRYING, ARE THEY PRODUCING TEARS? IS THEIR MOUTH MOIST? FOR BABIES AND INFANTS, YOU TOUCH THE TOP OF THEIR HEAD. THAT SOFT PART WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT’S NOT SUNKEN IN. AND OVERALL JUST THE HYDRATION STATUS. IF YOUR CHILD IS STILL ABLE TO DRINK FLUIDS AND EAT THE

THINGS THAT THEY LIKE, THAT’S OKAY. BUT WHEN THEY’RE NOT DRINKING, WHEN THEY’RE NOT EATING AND THEY’RE STILL HAVING THOSE SYMPTOMS, THAT’S A CONCERN. >> IS THERE A GO TO SOLUTION TO HELPING OTHER THAN THE CLEANING, THE PREVENTATIVE? YEAH. ONCE YOU GOT IT, WHAT’S THE BEST THING TO DO FOR ADULTS? >> HYDRATING. YOU KNOW, EVERY TIME YOU HAVE TO GO AND YOU USE THE BATHROOM WITH YOUR SYMPTOM