The NSW Government has issued an urgent warning as reports of hundreds of gastro outbreaks hit childcare centres across NSW. A rise in viral gastro cases saw 820 children and 165 staff fall ill in centres around NSW.
NSW Health has urged that parents keep their children at home if they are sick and Educators should stay away from work if they develop symptoms.
Typically, gastro begins with vomiting. Children then develop frequent, watery poos. Often children may have tummy pain and fever with the diarrhoea. Some children may have a runny nose or a sore throat.
Gastro usually lasts for three or four days. It may take a week or so for the poos to become normal.
Gastro is often spread by direct contact with infected people and spreads easily if people haven't carefully washed their hands after using the toilet or before handling food.
The best defence is to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and running water for at least 10 seconds before handling and eating food.
Children, educators and other staff with infectious diarrhoea should be excluded until the diarrhoea has stopped for at least 24 hours.
For more information on Gastro, please read the following: Gastro In Children
Reference:
Mazzoni, Alana "Urgent Warning To Parents After 100 Childcare Centres Are Forced To Close Due To A Severe Outbreak Of Gastro Flu", Daily Mail Australia, 10 September 2019
