Norovirus, sometimes referred to as the stomach flu or the “cruise ship virus,” is still in high circulation in several Bay Area regions, and health experts say that rates could increase with the impending FIFA World Cup.
WastewaterSCAN, which monitors the rates of several viruses throughout the Bay Area’s municipal wastewater, shows that traces of norovirus are at high levels in Palo Alto, San Jose, Fremont, Vallejo and Novato as of Thursday. Meanwhile, the virus has a moderate presence in several other regions, including San Francisco.
Regardless, Dr. Matthew Willis, a former health officer for Marin County, said it’s too early to tell whether we’re in for a rough summer. Norovirus is present all year long, he said, but rates are “higher than we normally see in June,” which is “true for multiple jurisdictions at once,” Willis told SFGATE Thursday…