California GOP staffers sick with norovirus are stuck in Ohio hotel

NOROVIRUS ADVICE

Around 12 Republican staffers from California attending the Republican National Convention are sick with norovirus and holed up in a hotel until their symptoms vanish for 24 straight hours.

Staffers received an email early Tuesday morning urging them not to shake hands or share food with other convention-goers. And if they start feeling sick, the email said, don"t get on the bus from the hotel to the convention.

The staffers have reportedly stocked up on hand sanitizer to try to fight off the spread of the virus.

Norovirus is "a very contagious virus that can infect anyone," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "You can get it from an infected person, contaminated food or water, or by touching contaminated surfaces."

The virus inflames the stomach and/or intestines, causing stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea and puking. Norovirus causes significant symptoms in 19-21 million people in the United States every year, the CDC says, leading to 570-800 deaths, though the virus is generally only fatal among elderly patients and children.

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A delegate attends the opening day of the Republican National Convention at the Quicken Loans arena in Cleveland, Ohio on July 18, 2016.The Republican Party opened its national convention Monday, kicking off a four-day political jamboree that will anoint billionaire Donald Trump as the Republican presidential nominee. / AFP / DOMINICK REUTER (Photo credit should read DOMINICK REUTER/AFP/Getty Images)

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CLEVELAND, OH - JULY 18: Diana Shores from Farmville, VA (C) protests a roll call vote on the floor on the first day of the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. An estimated 50,000 people are expected in Cleveland, including hundreds of protesters and members of the media. The four-day Republican National Convention kicks off on July 18. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

A delegate in patriotic dress on the first day of the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.The Republican Party opened its national convention Monday, kicking off a four-day political jamboree that will anoint billionaire Donald Trump as its presidential nominee. Some 2,000 delegates descended on a tightly secured Cleveland arena where Trump"s wife will take center stage later in the day to make a personal pitch to voters that her billionaire husband is the best candidate for the White House. / AFP / TIMOTHY A. CLARY (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

A delegate wear an American flag cowboy hat while waiting at a food stand during the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S., on Monday, July 18, 2016. The day before the start of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Reince Priebus said Donald Trump has to use the gathering to convince Americans he can be presidential. Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images

CLEVELAND, OH - JULY 18: Former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (2nd L) along with other delegates from Virginia chant for a rule call vote on the first day of the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. An estimated 50,000 people are expected in Cleveland, including hundreds of protesters and members of the media. The four-day Republican National Convention kicks off on July 18. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

A delegate on the first day of the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.The Republican Party opened its national convention Monday, kicking off a four-day political jamboree that will anoint billionaire Donald Trump as its presidential nominee. Some 2,000 delegates descended on a tightly secured Cleveland arena where Trump"s wife will take center stage later in the day to make a personal pitch to voters that her billionaire husband is the best candidate for the White House. / AFP / TIMOTHY A. CLARY (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

A Wisconsin delegate on the first day of the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. / AFP / TIMOTHY A. CLARY (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

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CLEVELAND, OH - JULY 18: Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) speaks during the first day of the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. An estimated 50,000 people are expected in Cleveland, including hundreds of protesters and members of the media. The four-day Republican National Convention kicks off on July 18. (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)

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You may remember norovirus from stories of outbreaks on cruise ships. The virus often finds a home in cruise ships because of "close living quarters, shared dining areas, and rapid turnover of passengers," according to the CDC. Those traits also fit well with the description of a convention, where shared dining areas are common, people come and go, and visitors live alongside each other in hotel rooms.

Despite the outbreak, The Los Angeles Times reported that no other delegates have come down with the virus thus far.

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Source: http://www.aol.com/article/2016/07/19/california-gop-staffers-sick-with-norovirus-are-stuck-in-ohio-ho/21435171/

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Norovirus strikes the Republican National Convention

Because Things Weren"t Dicey Enough At The RNC, Now There"s Norovirus

CLEVELAND -- A terrifying word circulated Tuesday at the Republican National Convention: norovirus.

A dozen staffers in the California delegation who had arrived in Cleveland early have fallen ill with the extremely contagiousvirus, California GOP chairman Jim Brulte said.

The virus causes extreme vomiting and diarrhea and has been known to spread explosively through people in closed places, such as cruise ships, schools and nursing homes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Brulte said that, so far, no delegates or alternates have shown symptoms. He said his delegation will continuing to attend the convention at Quicken Loans Arena, where the Californians sit next to the Maryland delegation.

The delegates from California are staying at the Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, Ohio, nearly 60 miles away from Cleveland. Brulte said the delegates and their guests were spending the day Tuesday at the Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky or at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio or just relaxing at the Kalahari Resort.

Brulte said he believes one staffer brought the virus to Ohio from California and then passed it to the staffer"s spouse. Soon, 12 of the 36 staffers were sick.

The infected individuals first began showing symptoms on Thursday, and Erie County health officials have taken fecal samples for analysis, the Plain Dealer reported.

[Complete live coverage of the Republican National Convention]

State party officials alerted the delegation Monday morning to the norovirus outbreak and briefed attendees again Tuesday. They also informed Ohio health officials.

"We will continue to follow all county health department directives to keep the illness from spreading. We wish our staffers a speedy recovery," Kaitlyn MacGregor, communicationsdirector of the California GOP, said in an email to The Post.

They have instructed delegates to wash their hands frequently, use sanitizers, and avoid shaking hands (something, as it happens, that Donald Trump has long been loath to do). They also should not share food and have been told to stay off delegation buses to the convention arena if they exhibit any symptoms of norovrius.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains how the norovirus stomach bug spreads and how you can protect yourself from getting it. (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC))

The virus can be caught through contact from infected people or surfaces, or through consuming contaminated food or water. Norovirus inflames the stomach, the intestines, or both. Symptoms include stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. Such symptoms can be especially dangerous for young children and older adults.

Every year, about 19 to 21 million people become sick with norovirus; about 570 to 800 people die annually from it, according to the CDC.

In Ohio, hand-sanitizer dispensers were spotted Monday night at the resort where the California delegates are staying, the Los Angeles Times reported.

"We worked with the hotel to add sanitizing stations in and around the area where our delegation activities are," Brulte said.

The African-themed Kalahari Resort in Sandusky has 884 guest rooms, according to a company website. The property features indoor and outdoor water parks and an outdoor adventure park.

A spokeswoman for Kalahari Resorts said the company is cooperating "with all necessary officials."

"In preparation for the Republican California Delegates" stay, Kalahari Resorts and Conventions worked diligently with government officials to ensure we exceeded all health and sanitation requirements and protocols," spokeswoman Samantha Flynn said in a statement. "This includes passing extensive testing prior to, and continuing through, the delegation"s visit."

The California delegation includes 172 delegates and 168 alternates, plus a number of guests, with the entire group numbering about 500, Brulte said.

Of the ailing staffers, Brulte said, "Most of them are disappointed they can"t work, but they understand that they"re out of circulation" until they are symptom-free for at least 24 hours.

"We"re in touch with the California delegation about this," said Audrey Scagnelli, spokeswoman for the RNC. "They"re working with local health officials and are taking all the necessary precautions to contain the virus. We"ll continue to monitor the situation and ensure the delegation and staff have everything they need."

News reports of the California delegation"s remote accommodations in Sandusky surfaced earlier this year, when state GOP leaders complained that they were being put up so far from the convention site.

The complaints prompted convention organizers to bristle at suggestions they had dropped the ball on accommodating the GOP"s largest delegation, or that the California delegates were being penalized for coming from a state that hasn"t historically been friendly to Republicans.

[Izadi reported from Washington. This post has been updated.]

Correction: This post originally misstatedKaitlyn MacGregor"s title. She is communicationsdirector, not executive director, of the California GOP.

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNEPhL3RpGFINi5hPVYMlqDYODGqJw&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52779163307148&ei=srmPV_DXHJaH3AH-uaLACA&url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/07/19/norovirus-strikes-the-republican-national-convention/

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