Norovirus, a highly infectious contagion that causes vomiting and diarrhea, has been terrorizing restaurants, cruises, and schools since 1968. With about 2,500 US outbreaks reported every year, it is known for its high communicability. Far more contagious, however, is the rumor that a norovirus outbreak has occurred in Forest Hills Central Middle School (CMS).
The rumor first arose when a noticeable number of middle school students were absent last Thursday. Although an exact number cannot be told, it is known that a distinct part of the student body was absent due to gastrointestinal illnesses, prompting the administration, led by CMS principal Jeff Simon, to take a multitude of precautions.
“As a school, one of the things we want to make sure is that kids are in school,” Simon said. “So we notice when that [attendance] number changes…. When we get reports of people getting sick, that’s kind of how we know that we need to look into [the issue] a little bit more and see what’s going on.”…