California GOP staffers sick with norovirus are stuck in Ohio hotel
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.
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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.
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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Colin is Mashable's US & World Reporter. He previously interned at Foreign Policy magazine and The American Prospect. Colin is a graduate from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. When he's not at Mashable, you can most likely find him eating or playing some kind of sport.
