By: Kyle James | 02-12-2018 | News
Photo credit: straitstimes.com

Winter Olympics: Organizers Confirm 177 Norovirus Cases at Pyeongchang

A quiet threat is looming at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. Organizers said Monday a total of 177 norovirus cases have been confirmed at the games but so far the athletic delegations have not been affected.

19 more cases of norovirus were confirmed Sunday afternoon, according to Winter Olympic organizers. Of the 177 cases, 68 have recovered and were released from quarantine to go back to work at the games.

Last week, <a href="https://thegoldwater.com/news/17627-Norovirus-Hits-Winter-Olympics">1,200 private security staff were quarantined</a> and had to be replaced at the last minute following a norovirus outbreak. Now, it seems the efforts were in vain and the virus is now rampant among attendees.

In order to deal with the lack of 1,200 staff, organizers had to call in military personnel to replace the private security. So far, none of the athletes have contracted the highly contagious virus.

The <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/features/norovirus/index.html">CDC says norovirus is a germ</a> that spreads quickly and easily. Common symptoms include diarrhea and vomiting but you can protect yourself by washing your hands often and avoiding physical contact with a person who is infected.

In the United States, the CDC estimates that norovirus causes 19 to 21 million illnesses and between 56,000 and 71,000 hospitalizations.

<img src="https://media.8ch.net/file_store/a025109cf2ff514d3fed3e03cf4f9993dcde591887aa842336a25efc802ab3f0.jpg" style="max-height:640px;max-width:360px;">

<span style="margin-top:15px;rgba(42,51,6,0.7);font-size:12px;">Credit: BBC News</span>

An outbreak occurred at last year's World Athletics Championship in London and forced competitors from several nations to miss the event.

Pyeongchang Winter Olympics organizers say several agencies are cooperating to curb the spread of the deadly outbreak. Water quality is being tested and inspections are taking place at venues, restaurants, and hotels.

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Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/sport/winter-olympics-organisers-confirm-177-total-norovirus-cases-at-pyeongchang

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