KIMT News 3- Stomach viruses are known to spread very rapidly, especially during the winter.
A stomach virus like gastroenteritis or norovirus causes stomach and intestines or both to become inflamed. Doctor Charity Baker of Rockwell said symptoms of the stomach flu can include stomach cramping, body aches, nausea, vomiting, terrible and diarrhea.
Baker said if you’re exposed to a stomach bug, there are remedies that can help the pain like oral medicine or oral rehydration solutions. “A Pedialyte solution that can be made in the home that can help re-hydrate in midst of continued loses.”
Erin Hudson of Mason City said her 2-year-old daughter Kenna was exposed to the stomach flu last year. “Sometimes they [children] bring things home and they don’t know they have it, they don’t have any symptoms, but they bring it home to everybody else,” said Hudson. “It gets to be weeks sometimes before we can get everybody better.”
Stomach viruses can be spread through direct contact or through the air, but Hudson said there’s ways you can prevent the spread from the start.
“All my kids can carry around hand sanitizer, we push hand washing, not sharing things with others, not sharing cups, not sharing food with other kids, covering their mouths, especially going to the bathroom and touching other surfaces, constantly making sure their hands are clean.”