Norovirus sidelines staff at PyeongChang Winter Olympics
- 6 years ago
With the opening of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games now just a day away,... a sudden outbreak of the highly contagious norovirus is raising concern among organizers and visitors alike.
With a number of staff members falling ill,... organizers are doing all they can to contain the virus.
Lee Seung-jae has more.
It's an unwelcome guest at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games.
Officials are scrambling to contain an outbreak of the highly contagious norovirus that has sickened more than 40 security staff.
But the number of people sidelined by the illness is rising... with dozens more PyeongChang staff members falling foul of the virus,... which causes diarrhea, stomach pain and vomiting.
So far, it appears the illness is confined to security staff as well as three food handlers in the media village,... and everything is being done to prevent the virus from spreading any further.
"Self-isolation is recommended for patients and epidemiological investigations are being conducted to track down the source of the virus... to ensure it doesn't spread further."
With some twelve-hundred security personnel currently being told to stay in their rooms while they are tested for the virus,... 900 soldiers have been called up as substitutes.
While no athletes are reported to have caught the virus,... a senior IOC official noted that PyeongChang organizers are taking a no-risk, by-the-books approach when it comes to health matters that could possibly affect the Games.
Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.
With a number of staff members falling ill,... organizers are doing all they can to contain the virus.
Lee Seung-jae has more.
It's an unwelcome guest at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games.
Officials are scrambling to contain an outbreak of the highly contagious norovirus that has sickened more than 40 security staff.
But the number of people sidelined by the illness is rising... with dozens more PyeongChang staff members falling foul of the virus,... which causes diarrhea, stomach pain and vomiting.
So far, it appears the illness is confined to security staff as well as three food handlers in the media village,... and everything is being done to prevent the virus from spreading any further.
"Self-isolation is recommended for patients and epidemiological investigations are being conducted to track down the source of the virus... to ensure it doesn't spread further."
With some twelve-hundred security personnel currently being told to stay in their rooms while they are tested for the virus,... 900 soldiers have been called up as substitutes.
While no athletes are reported to have caught the virus,... a senior IOC official noted that PyeongChang organizers are taking a no-risk, by-the-books approach when it comes to health matters that could possibly affect the Games.
Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.