Kids and gastro go hand in hand but families in South Australia are on alert after an alarming number of gastro cases have been confirmed across the state.
SA Health has been notified of 60 outbreaks of gastro at childcare centres and aged care facilities in this month alone. This is a massive spike from the same period last year.
South Australia gastro outbreak coincides with back to school
Of course, the start of school doesn’t help!
Hit by the first day of school, a whole lot of people have got infections,” General Practitioner Dr Rod Pearce told 9News.
While we’ve all been very vigilant in our social distancing and hand washing, it’s a lot harder to police these practices in children which is why it spreads so easily through childcare facilities and schools.
If one child vomits at school, there’s a pretty good chance at least one other child will catch the bug. After all, gastro is highly contagious!
The risks of gastro
While most people recover quickly from gastro, the illness is more serious in the young and elderly.
[An outbreak] puts people with pre-existing illnesses at risk, when they get dehydrated [it] puts a strain on their heart and their lungs, and puts their life at risk.”
Plus, it’s a nightmare for parents. The vomit stains, the sheet washing, the spew buckets, not to mention the pain of watching our little ones down and out. #NoThanks.
Keep kids at home
Due to the South Australia gastro outbreak, SA Health is suggesting parents keep their children home from school or childcare if they feel sick, until nausea stops.
In general, kids with gastro should be kept away from other children, school or child care until they’ve been vomiting and diarrhoea free for at least 48 hours.
A little bit about the gastro bug
Most parents have experienced the hell that is gastro at least once or twice and know just how awful it can be for everyone, especially our little ones.
According to Queensland Health, “Gastroenteritis, or gastro, is a common condition that causes inflammation in the stomach and intestinal tract.
The most common symptoms of gastro are diarrhoea and vomiting. But infected people may also experience fever, stomach cramps, body aches and headaches.”
