In a shocking piece of news, the state of Kerala has been bracing up a new virus outbreak that is menacing the school students and disrupted their education, that was akin to what happened during the Covid pandemic. This time, Kerala is hit by the contagious Norovirus outbreak and as the virus was detected in several students in a school, the state's health mechanism has begun to beef up the medical infrastructure to address the whamming infection. 

According to reports, the Norovirus infection was detected in several students of a private school in Kakkanad, Kochi on Monday. The disease was confirmed after the students shown the symptoms like vomiting and diarrhoea. As 62 students of Class 1 and Class 2 and some parents showed the symptoms, their samples were sent to the State Public Lab and shockingly, two students tested positive for Norovirus and they are undergoing treatment. 

The District Medical Officer (DMO) said that there is nothing alarming in their condition. Following the development, the school has declared a holiday for classes 1 to 5. As the outbreak is becoming a cause of concern, the Kochi district administration has initiated preventive and awareness measures. The classrooms and toilets in the school were disinfected. The health department has also advised the people who show the symptoms to stay under observation. 

In a statement, the DMO said, "The health condition of the children is stable. The health department personnel inspected the school which is now temporarily closed. We are holding online awareness sessions to the children and parents. The classrooms and the toilets have now been sanitized." The authorities have urged the public to be cautious and ensure that the drinking water sources are clean and free of contamination.

The statement further said that the disease could be cured within a short period with proper treatment and precaution. According to the school authorities, necessary guidance has been given to the parents as per the directions of the health department. It is pertinent to note that last year, two children in Kerala were found infected with the Norovirus at Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram.  

What is Norovirus?

Norovirus is a contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhoea. Its common symptoms include fever, headache, chills, and muscle aches. Usually, the virus would affect children, elderly people, and people with comorbidities. The virus can spread through polluted water and food and people can also get affected if they come in close contact with the infected persons. Moreover, the virus can also be transmitted through the feces and vomit of infected people. 

The symptoms usually begin to expose in one or two days after getting contracted with the virus and as a cure, the infected people should get isolated themselves. They should take plenty of boiled water and oral rehydration salts. They should come out of the isolation bubble only two days after getting cured and they can seek the doctors' help if they are down with severe health setbacks. 

As the disease appears to have a rapid spread in Kerala, the DMO of Kochi has issued crucial advisories to the public and the public are instructed to wash hands using soap before having food and after using the restroom. They are also advised to drink only boiled water and they should not consume stale food and food items that are kept open. Besides cleaning the seafoods well during cooking, the public are also advised to wash fruits and vegetables before use.