Person Co. officials: Two test positive for norovirus
Almost 1000 students were absent from Person County Schools on Friday after an outbreak of a mysterious gastrointestinal illness, according to the office of the superintendent. Now, health officials are saying two of the samples tests have returned positive for norovirus.
Since Wednesday when the first students and staff members showed symptoms, the Person County Health Department has been working with the North Carolina Division of Public Health in testing samples from some of the sick patients.
Friday, the Health Department submitted the samples they had received. While two of the samples did return positive for the norovirus, officials say they will need additional samples to confirm the cause of the outbreak.
Person County officials said 980 students were absent Friday, but it is not known how many of these students were symptomatic versus how many were absent as a precaution. The office of the superintendent also told ABC11 the number of absences could be due to the holiday weekend.
Harley West is a 7th grader at Southern Middle School in Roxboro. He said his parents had him miss school Friday as a precautionary measure.
"I talked to two of my friends and they told me that they were sick too," West explained. "So, they said they caught it, so that's why I didn't really go to school today."
Superintendent Danny Holloman said a gastrointestinal outbreak kept almost 700 students out of school and off the field in Person County on Thursday. More than 100 students and teachers left school Wednesday due to the virus.
The State Health Department canceled all athletic events, including Friday Night Football.
Wake County resident Candy Williams works in Roxboro. He said he's also worried about the mysterious illness.
"It can spread. I live in Wake Forest and I can take it from here to there," Williams said.
