Gastrointestinal illness now impacting Kamloops daycare

KAMLOOPS — Multiple facilities have been impacted by a viral stomach illness that started at Royal Inland Hospital late last month, including a day care.

The outbreak of a gastrointestinal illness at Royal Inland Hospital has settled down since the outbreak initially erupted on Jan. 29. but has since spread to a senior residential facility and a daycare centre, according to Interior Health officials.

"Pine Grove [Care Centre] is still on outbreak status and St. Paul's Early Learning Centre is on outbreak status," says Brad Buie with Interior Health. 

He also explains how gastrointestinal illnesses don't always mean norovirus.

"Not all specimens are tested… somebody could have all those symptoms of norovirus and it's not necessarily [norovirus] it's a different virus," he says.

Berwick On The Park, another retirement home which also impacted with a gastrointestinal illness, has been cleared says Buie.

Last week, Interior Health officials were hoping to declare the virus outbreak over at Royal Inland Hospital by Feb. 6. However, two new cases of norovirus were just reported yesterday, Feb. 11.

"The only unit at Royal Inland Hospital that has an outbreak status declared is 5-North,'' says Buie. 

A nearby psychiatric facility was also impacted by the virus outbreak but was given the all clear on Friday, Feb. 1.

Earlier this month, the outbreak at Royal Inland Hospital postponed several surgeries and impacted four units, something that was considered unusual by Interior Health officials.

For more on Norovirus go here.

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