Is Texas About To Have A Norovirus Outbreak? Here’s What We Know.

So here we are Texas, a new year upon us. We've had time to recharge our batteries, take some time off from work, and spend plenty of needed time with family and friends.

Among the things we all most likely did were stay locked inside with our family, go out to large holiday gatherings with hundreds of other people around, Christmas gift shop at the last minute when the stores are loaded with people, and attend SOME sort of gathering of people for New Year.

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So where exactly am I going with all this? No, it's not necessarily to depress you and make you remember all the wonderful moments you got to have, but have to wait a full year for again. It's more along the lines of what price we're all potentially going to pay for those memories.

We're on the brink of a norovirus outbreak thanks to the holidays.

Ok, it doesn't sound as bad as it seems. I know the word "norovirus" sounds scary, but it's not like when we first heard "coronavirus". Norovirus outbreaks are actually relatively common, and they tend to come right around this time of year.

Norovirus is simply the stomach flu, and honestly, I'm already dealing with it in my household as of the other night.

Now, Texas isn't dealing with an outbreak as of right now, but it could be right around the corner. Because of those gatherings with people we don't see often, and them visiting with others, coupled with the fact that kids are close to headed back to school, the virus could spread around quickly.

The CDC recently reported that 91 cases of it were reported, and that number is more than double that of reported cases since 2021. Usually that's a pretty ominous sign that we could see more cases of it than we normally do.

So how do you know if you've come down with norovirus? The obvious symptoms are vomiting and diarrhea. Those are typically the first sign you have that something has invaded. Other things to watch for are stomach cramping, dry mouth, feeling weak, urinating less or dark-colored urine, and dizziness.