Laramie County Health Officials Warn Of Norovirus, Flu Danger

Cheyenne-Laramie County Public Health Officials are urging people to take steps to protect themselves from norovirus and influenza infections that are on the upswing.

According to a news release, people should be staying home when sick, washing their hands and getting vaccinated.

What Is Norovirus?

While norovirus is not technically a strain of influenza, people often refer to it as "the flu" or a stomach bug. It's very contagious, and it's symptoms mimic the flu, including vomiting and diarrhea.

Most people feel better within one to three days, but people can still be contagious after that.

According to the release Norovirus spreads through direct contact with someone who is ill, eating or drinking items contaminated with norovirus, or touching contaminated surfaces and then putting your hands in your mouth.

So what is the best way to protect yourself? Mom was right--wash your hands. That means old-fashioned soap and water. Hand sanitizers don't stop the norovirus. Doing your laundry in hot water and disinfecting contaminated surfaces are important as well.

The other big viral threat this time of year is, of course, the flu or influenza. The flu can be very mild to pretty severe, and it usually comes on suddenly. Typical flu symptoms include such things as acough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, and fatigue.

While most flu victims feel better in a couple of days to a couple of weeks, some people do develop complications, including such things as pneumonia, which in some cases can be serious or even fatal.

The release says people at higher risk of developing serious complications include complications include "people 65 years and older, pregnant women, children younger than 5 years, and those with certain chronic medical conditions - such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease.''

In Laramie County January and February are typicall the worst months for the flu. The release Kasey Mullins, Deputy Director and Director of Nursing for CLCPH as saying “Prevention, prevention, prevention. When it comes to the flu, get vaccinated to protect yourself. It takes about two weeks for the vaccine to become fully effective, which is why it’s so important to get vaccinated now before we see cases hit peak levels.”

Cheyenne Laramie County Public Health offers flu vaccines Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Walk-in immunizations are available. For questions about immunizations, call Cheyenne Laramie County Public Health at 307.633.4000.