Hundreds of guests have complained of gastrointestinal problems since the first Spring Festival weekend. Including Nora Hoffmann from Weissach near Leonberg and André Hihn from Metzingen.
The tables had been booked for months and the evening was great. But now over 700 people had a nasty surprise after visiting the Stuttgart Spring Festival – they suddenly became ill.
It started at four o’clock on Monday morning, says Nora Hoffmann from Weissach (Böblingen district): diarrhea and vomiting. The American-born woman was so happy to have found a good beer limit this time, she says with a laugh. “I thought ‘Okay great, then I can start the week well’, but unfortunately it was nothing.”
I was a bit proud of myself this time because I didn’t drink as much. And then it was nothing again, then unfortunately everything started on Monday.
It quickly becomes clear that the 26-year-old and her husband’s symptoms are not caused by a hangover. You probably have norovirus. Since Monday, more and more cases have been reported to the Stuttgart authorities.
Stuttgart
After visiting the Stuttgart Spring Festival, there are many infected people. How dangerous is norovirus? How long are you contagious? Can you still go to the Spring Festival?
Fri.26.4.2024 7:30 p.m. SWR Aktuell Baden-Württemberg SWR BW
Because the virus is very contagious, there could now be many cases in the private sector, according to the Stuttgart Health Department. In her circle of friends, only Nora and her husband were affected. You were able to work again from your home office on Thursday. Other groups were less lucky.
Nora (26) during a previous visit to Wasen. She definitely wants to come back.
17 out of 30 people sick: group severely affected by norovirus
André Hihn’s group from Metzingen (Reutlingen district) was “hit hard” on Saturday evening at Göckelesmaier, he tells SWR. “That was 17 of the 30 people. So more than 50 percent.”
Many of the group are still “out of action,” says André. He himself is on sick leave and feels weak. He only gets a little down when he eats. But the doctor said you couldn’t do anything more than bed rest, lots of drinking and a light diet.
This was essentially a super-spreader event, as they like to say.
André is definitely skeptical now. If you go to your favorite restaurant and come out sick afterwards, you probably wouldn’t go there anymore. So he probably won’t be visiting this particular festival tent on the Wasen for a while.
Stuttgart
Number of sick people after wave of infections rises to over 800 Norovirus at Stuttgart Spring Festival: “We don’t know exactly what the source is”
After attending the Spring Festival in Stuttgart, hundreds of people complained about gastrointestinal symptoms. It is still unclear who brought the viruses into the festival tent.
Fri.26.4.2024 2:00 p.m. SWR4 in the afternoon SWR4
Authority: Eating at Göckelesmaier was not to blame
“It’s crazy that almost the entire tent was hit at Göckelesmaier,” says André. Characterized by the Corona period, you could in principle call it a super spreader event.
According to the city of Stuttgart, it is now clear that it was probably not the food and drinks. This would have shown samples of dishes, washing water and food. Instead, it was a person-to-person transmission, a so-called smear infection. “If someone doesn’t wash their hands properly after going to the toilet and the person has diarrhea,” explains Martin Priwitzer, the deputy head of the Stuttgart health department – then you could get the virus if the next person touches the same place and then, for example in the face.
This is the norovirus and this is how you can protect yourself
Noroviruses are highly contagious and usually lead to gastrointestinal diseases, explains the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA). Because of the virus, vomiting diarrhea occurs again and again in kindergartens, schools, clinics and other community facilities. The consequences are usually diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, sometimes in combination with abdominal and muscle pain and a slight fever. Children under five and older people over 70 are particularly sensitive to the loss of fluid caused by the symptoms. There is no vaccination against it, and according to the BZgA, antibiotics do not help.
The viruses are often transmitted through unclean hands or objects such as door handles. The authority therefore recommends that you always wash your hands carefully with soap and water after using the toilet or before preparing food. Additionally, while people vomit, airborne droplets containing viruses can transmit norovirus, the agency said. Raw food or contaminated water can also be the cause. The BZgA lists further details online about how to deal with the disease.
Norovirus sufferers want to go to the Spring Festival
The health department gave the employees of the affected Göckelesmaier festival tent additional hygiene tips. “They implemented that really well. That’s why we’re actually very hopeful about containment,” said Priwitzer.
Göckelesmaier definitely feels sorry for Nora. She is of the opinion: This could have happened anywhere on the Wasen and encourages other visitors for the future: “There is always a risk that you have when you are with thousands of people. When you have close contact and together sing and eat and drink.” As an American, she appreciates the German cultural heritage in the Stuttgart area and is confident: “I would like to go to the Wasen again in the future.”