Norovirus fear overshadows PyeongChang
By Nam Hyun-woo
PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province _ The PyeongChang Winter Games is being haunted by the growing fear of a norovirus outbreak, as the number of those infected continues to grow.
According to the Games organizer and the Korea Centers for Disease Control (KCDC), 128 people have been confirmed to be affected by the bug, which causes vomiting and diarrhea, as of Thursday night.
They include volunteer workers, security personnel, police officers, reporters and other Games-related people.
The number of those infected is rapidly increasing. On Tuesday, 32 tested positive for the gastroenteritis causing bug. The number grew by 54 to stand at 86 on Wednesday and jumped by 42 to reach 128, Thursday.
The KCDC said that 34 of the 42 new patients tested positive while in quarantine, thus further risk of an explosive spread is very low.
As the number grows, Olympians and foreign delegations are also expressing their concerns over a potential spread of the virus.
“I have heard about the virus and it is little bit concerning,” said a foreign delegate from Norway at the Main Press Center at the Alpensia resort, asking not to be named. “I believe the organizing committee will do what’s necessary.”
As the virus has caused a shortage in the workforce, the organizing committee has asked the military to take up the slack.
“To address the shortfall in the security workforce due to isolation, 900 military personnel have been deployed to take over the work of the civil safety personnel,” the organizing committee said in a statement. “They will work across 20 venues until all the affected workforce is able to return to duty.”
Norovirus is a contagious virus that causes stomach pain, nausea and diarrhea. Though it is not fatal, it is highly contagious and has no antidote. It is mostly seen in crowded environments, such as hospitals, schools, or other enclosed places.
According to Hong Jeong-ik at the KCDC, the disease is fully “controllable and preventable” through good hand-washing, drinking boiled water and maintaining personal hygiene.
“The disease goes away naturally over time, but the problem is it is highly contagious,” Hong told The Korea Times. “The KCDC is doing its best to find people infected with the virus to contain it.”
The organizers said in a statement that the KCDC and the Ministry of Environment are testing tap water and food ingredients, and questioning food preparation staff, to trace the route of transmission.
They added that the KCDC reported the tap water at the dormitory for security personnel where the first outbreak was reported Feb. 6, proved negative for the bug. Fifty-eight private security guards hired for the Games staying at the residence were confirmed to be infected with the disease as of Wednesday.
An official at the organizing committee added that it has re-sterilized the Athletes’ Village and other areas and is exerting full efforts to prevent the virus from affecting the athletes.