Norovirus Infected Winter Olympics Security Guards
A norovirous has made 41 security guards sick just days before the opening of South Korea’s 2018 Winter Olympics on Thursday.
The norovirus outbreak prompted South Korea to deploy 900 military personnel in place of the 1,200 security guards that were pulled from duty. This is expected to prevent spreading the disease.
Pyeongchang Olympics committee said, “The military personnel … will be responsible for security checks of the 20 venues as they take up jobs such as security searches, previously done by civilian safety personnel, until the patients’ condition is normalized.”
According to media reports, the security guards had suffered a sudden onset of vomiting and diarrhea on Sunday and were taken to hospital.
Norovirus infection can cause the sudden onset of severe vomiting and diarrhea. The virus is highly contagious and commonly spread through food or water that is contaminated during preparation or contaminated surfaces. It is highly contagious and one can be infected through close contact with an infected person.
Preventive Measures
After withdrawal of the security guards infected by the norovirus, Olympics organizers collaborated with the Korean Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) to launch preventive measures to control and prevent spread of the disease.
The organizers said that all Olympic accommodation and buses were being disinfected. In addition, Water and food at the accommodations are currently being tested, while the Winter Olympics committee said it would strengthen checks on sleeping quarters for staff working at the games to prevent further infections.
The KCDC also responded to the call of assistance. In a statement Monday, “KCDC dispatched an immediate response team to the Pyeongchang site to check additional people for symptoms, check the origin of the exposure, take measures to control infection and prevent spread.”
The Prestigious Winter Olympics 2018
The 2018 Olympic Winter Games will be held for 17 days from 9 to 25 February 2018 in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, the Republic of Korea. PyeongChang was selected as the host city of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.
This is the Olympic Winter Games will be held in Korea for the first time in 30 years after the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988. PyeongChang will be the stage for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and most snow sports.
