Outbreak sends nearly 5,000 patients to Aussie hospitals

The New South Wales (NSW) State Department of Health has issued statements pleading for people to wash their hands frequently in order to minimise the spread of the viral outbreaks.

NSW chief health officer, Dr Kerry Chant told newsmen on Wednesday, that the virus can be dormant for up to three days

Chant said that close to 5,000 people have been admitted to various hospitals throughout Australia's largest state in the past three weeks as an outbreak of gastroenteritis worsens by the minute.

``These outbreaks are mostly caused by infection with a virus, most often norovirus or rotavirus.

``It spread easily from person to person, particularly if hands are not carefully washed after using the toilet or attending to nappy changes’’, Chant stressed.

It was reported nearly 5,000 people have been seen at emergency hospitals, 1,200 of those admitted for care, exceeding worst case scenario predictions by no fewer than 500 patients.

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