Norovirus keeping Macaulay Lodge closed

An outbreak of norovirus - commonly known as Norwalk - will keep Macaulay Lodge in Whitehorse closed until Sunday at the earliest, health officials said today.

An outbreak of norovirus - commonly known as Norwalk - will keep Macaulay Lodge in Whitehorse closed until Sunday at the earliest, health officials said today.

The outbreak was first detected on April 16, when eight residents at the adult and senior care facility came down with norovirus symptoms, including fever, vomiting and diarrhea.

Macaulay was immediately closed to the public, except for those family members visiting palliative care patients, according to Pat Living, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Social Services.

“On some occasions, decisions are made really quickly, so if we identify the outbreak at four o’clock and someone comes to visit at 4:15, they will be turned away,” Living said. “But it is part of our standard operating procedures to let families know.”

As of this morning, 20 residents and 12 staff members had been infected with the bug, Living said. There have been no deaths associated with this outbreak, but the virus can pose significant risks to babies, seniors and those with frail immune systems.

a"In an outbreak like this, usually 50 per cent of residents will get ill,” Living said.

There are currently 46 people living at Macaulay Lodge and 50 staff members who work in both Macaulay and Copper Ridge Place, a care home which also serves children and young adults. There have been no cases of norovirus reported at Copper Ridge.

Staff at Macaulay have been instructed to wear protective gowns, gloves and face masks during the outbreak, Living said. All infected residents are being kept in their rooms and group activities such as bingo have been scaled back.

“Our standard is, if we have no new cases in 48 hours, we’ll re-open,” Living said. “The last (reported case) was yesterday - Thursday - so if no new ones come in, we’ll open on Sunday.”

The last norovirus outbreak in Yukon occurred 2 1/2 years ago, Living said.

According to the Health Canada website, 300 to 400 cases of norovirus are reported every year across the country. Health Canada does not track fatalities associated with the virus, as it is seen as a contributing factor, not a cause of death.