Warning Issued as Extremely Contagious Stomach Virus Rips Through Parts of U.S.
Parents and teachers alike dread the flu season. You know once one person catches it, everyone is going to catch it.
Everyone has their own home remedy for the stomach flu. For some people it’s ginger ale or 7-Up and saltine crackers, for others it’s Gatorade and binge watching shows on Netflix.
It’s not exactly the typical flu season yet, but there’s one bug ahead of schedule that’s wreaking havoc on people already.
SIU Center for Family Medicine in Illinois has seen multiple cases of this stomach virus over the past few weeks.
Dr. Bill Dixon, from SIU Center for Family Medicine, has some advice for people who may run into the nasty bug — but it’s also solid advice for any flu symptoms.
“Keep pushing water,” he said. “Keep pushing fluids. It’s the dehydration that’s going to get folks in trouble.”
“If you can keep from getting severely dehydrated, typically it’ll fix itself.”
The virus has been lasting for about 24-48 hours, so as long as you can keep fluids going, the duration of the illness isn’t too bad.
Some of the symptoms include sudden nausea, diarrhea, and sometimes a fever. It shouldn’t be serious enough to send you to the hospital if you stay hydrated, but like most illnesses, it’s more dangerous for the very young, the very old, and those with preexisting health issues.
It’s incredibly easy to pick up a stomach flu by touching anything that has come into contact with a sick person, even if you don’t directly interact with someone who is currently sick.
This new virus has been described as “extremely contagious,” so keep washing your hands and maybe break out that emergency supply of hand sanitizer.
Also make sure you’re aware of anyone around you who might be carrying the virus and take plenty of precautionary measures.
If you start to feel ill, and it’s a stomach flu sort of ill, make sure to start stocking up on drinks with electrolytes and keep water handy!
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