Valley View Primary, where 15 students were sent home Friday with symptoms including vomiting, nausea and diarrhea, was thoroughly disinfected over the weekend, district staff said.
Norovirus is extremely contagious, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is transmitted through contact with an infected person or contaminated surfaces or food. The virus causes the stomach, intestines or both to become inflamed, leading to stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.
A main concern for those infected is dehydration.
A spokesperson for the state health department said the first onset of illness in the Valley View district was Nov. 14.
Valley View Superintendent Rick Earley said the district began to notice a spike in absences last Wednesday but didn’t have to send any students home until Friday.
A total of 90 students were absent from the kindergarten through third grade building on Friday, but Earley said it’s unknown if all were out due to the same illness.
Earley said the kindergarten classes were hit the hardest and at least one teacher was out sick on Friday.
The district is following all instructions from the local and state health departments, Earley said, including cleaning procedures, and hopes to reopen Monday following the Thanksgiving holiday.
Schools already were scheduled to be closed Wednesday through Friday.
Teachers were told to report to work on Monday, but Earley said they were sent home.
Statewide stats
Norovirus outbreaks are fairly common in Ohio, according to ODH data. There were 10 community outbreaks of the virus statewide in 2014 affecting more than 100 people total, and an additional 23 norovirus outbreaks that were foodborne.
The district does not think the current illnesses had anything to do with food prepared within the school because not everyone who consumed common food became sick, Earley said.
Valley View had a previous norovirus outbreak in 2012 that cancelled classes for a day.
Since last week, Public Health has been in contact with parents of ill students to investigate the source of the sickness. The department also collected samples from the students for testing. Results are expected early next week.
Spokesman Dan Suffoletto said the advice for stopping the spread of the illness is the same no matter the underlying virus.
“The number one thing is if their child is sick don’t send them to school … Keep them isolated,” he said.
The health department is stressing that thorough hand-washing is key to stopping the spread of all illnesses.
The main concern for people with symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea is preventing dehydration by drinking lots of fluids, Suffoletto said.
The health department had no reports of hospitalization from this illness.
“Nobody wants their family to be ill at the holidays,” Earley said.
He’s heard from some who have been sick that the symptoms are short-lived, lasting a day or two.
The health department offered these tips:
- Anyone who's sick should isolate themselves from others until they feel better.
- Parents with sick children should sanitize their homes using a mixture of bleach and water.
- Drink plenty of liquids.
- Contact your health care provider with any concerns.
- Wash hands frequently with soap and water.
- Avoid touching your mouth, eyes or face.
Suffoletto said the county health department has not had any indication that anyone outside of the Valley View community has been affected by this outbreak.
Practices go on
Although all school buildings are closed as a precaution, Earley said, the illnesses have been mostly confined to elementary students and will not affect the Spartans’ winter sports seasons.
Valley View’s girls basketball season is scheduled to tip off next Monday at Dixie. Coach Steve Dickson said it’s business as usual.
“The illness has been down in the primary buildings; our athletics should not be affected at all,” Dickson said. “We’re still practicing and everything is still same as normal. Nothing has changed for the high school or junior high athletics.”
Boys and girls basketball and wrestling all practice at the high school. Bowling and swim teams train elsewhere.
Reporter Marc Pendleton contributed to this report.
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