We spoke with the mother of a nine-year-old boy who is worried about several illnesses, including the norovirus.
SAN ANTONIO — Norovirus outbreaks are on the rise across the country. But what about in south Texas? A lot of people have been talking about it, so we went to find out and spoke with a mother who is very worried.
According to Metro Health as of Thursday we haven’t seen so-called outbreaks in the area, but there are plenty of other stomach bugs going around.
“He caught a virus, I guess, touching something that was like unsanitary or somebody coughing on him, and it attacked his heart and he got myocarditis,” said Christine Ferguson who is talking about her nine-year-old son Jayden who is in the hospital right now.
In November Jayden caught a virus called coxsackievirus. Now he’s much more vulnerable to complications from all other illnesses, and his mother is scared of all of them, including the norovirus.
“I can’t let him go out without a face mask on because if he catches any kind of virus it is going to affect him. He’s going to be here again,” she said.
Dr. Donald Dumford with the Cleveland Clinic explained, “With norovirus, there’s no treatment options. It is just giving it time to get better.”
The CDC says norovirus is the leading cause of vomiting and diarrhea, and foodborne illness in the United States. Right now there is no specific medicine to treat people with the illness, including antibiotics – which aren’t effective against the illness. And most people with norovirus illness get better within one to three days.
“Most people get better within 72 hours. Usually symptoms resolved completely by then,” Dumford said.
To help you attempt to avoid the norovirus or any stomach illness, wash your hands often and for at least 20 seconds, clean and disinfect surfaces with a bleach-based cleanser or EPA-registered disinfectant, cook all food thoroughly, stay home when you are sick and don’t share utensils.
Ferguson says she’s taking precautions, but for now, her once very active little boy, is anything but.
“It’s keeping him away from being happy, from his friends, from a normal, a normal life,” she said.
Doctors say to take every virus seriously, because you never know how your body will handle it.