Chania: Viral Gastroenteritis – 43 cases in 12 hours!

The number of gastroenteritis cases transferred (within 12 hours!) to the Chania Hospital Emergency Department reached 43, and the first test of samples showed that they were norovirus. That is, it is a viral gastroenteritis transmitted through human contact. For this reason, unusual measures were taken at the Hospital, for example the mandatory use of a mask.
As he reported, in response to a question from the “Chanio youth”, the administrator of the hospital, Giorgos Beas, from 7.30 Monday afternoon, there was “an influx of cases with symptoms of gastroenteritis in the Emergency Department. By 12 in the evening, eleven citizens visited on the Emergency Department with symptoms of gastroenteritis, and this number increased by 8 (this Tuesday) morning to a total of 43 cases.
27 citizens were between 18 and 23 years of age and the rest were from other age categories. Also, their accommodation was from different parts of the city.
Many of the new kids were students at the Polytechnic.”
Mr. Beas noted that “the president of the Infections Committee recommended and the hospital administrator took a decision to ban the Visitor’s Office and the mandatory use of masks and hand washing. Only the absolutely necessary cases of patients in a hospital will have a visiting and attendance card. And this will be decided by the treating doctor and the head of the Clinic, until 18/10 mainly to protect our patients, due to the hypertransmission of the gastroenteritis virus and our staff”.
“The first three samples investigated and tested with the PCR method show that it is norovirus. Norovirus is the most common cause of viral gastroenteritis. In other words, it is a viral gastroenteritis with an incubation period of 24 to 48 hours. It is transmitted by contact and is characterized by diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach pains and a slight fever.
Mr. Beas thanked “our doctors and nurses in the Emergency Department, the pathology on call, the coordinator on call, the Directorate of the Nursing Service as well as the chairman of the Infections Committee and the Infections nurse for their quick response.”