HAVE MERCY

Norovirus Spreads to 100+ Camp Fire Evacuees at Northern California Shelters

Dozens of Bay Area schools closed due to smoky conditions, face masks selling out as air quality worsens.

The misery unleashed by the wildfires in California is only getting worse. More than 140 people who escaped the Camp Fire have come down with symptoms of norovirus at four different shelters. Over 40 are currently experiencing symptoms and some have been described as “acutely ill” by the Butte County Public Health Department. Norovirus symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and body aches—and it’s also highly contagious. “The number of sick people is increasing every day,” the health department said. “Twenty-five people have been to the hospital for medical support. Staff serving the shelters have also been sick.” Meanwhile, face masks are starting to sell out as conditions across Northern California get worse. “The air quality will likely be worse Friday,” said Kristine Roselius, a spokesperson for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, according to the San Francisco Gate. “We’ll see readings in the ‘unhealthy’ to ‘very unhealthy’ range.” Dozens of schools across the Bay Area were closed Friday due to the smoky conditions.

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