TIGARD, Ore. — A rapidly-spreading stomach virus has prompted a two-day closure of Metzger Elementary School in Tigard due to its impact on both staff and students.
The Tigard-Tualatin School District announced Wednesday that the school would be closed Thursday and Friday to help slow the spread of the virus, provide recovery time for people who have already been infected and give custodial crews a chance to clean and disinfect the building.
The building appeared deserted Thursday morning, with yellow signs taped to the inside of the front doors notifying visitors of the closure. The closure will extend through the weekend, according to the signs, with a planned return on Monday.
The district referred to the illness as an unspecified stomach virus rather than the flu or COVID. The district's COVID dashboard shows only two cases of COVID-19 at Metzger from Jan. 21 to Feb. 3.
KGW asked about the stomach virus during the Oregon Health Authority's monthly COVID news conference Thursday morning. State epidemeologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger said he hadn't heard of any specific stomach viruses circulating, but added that it's typical for viruses that cause gastroenteritis — stomachaches, vomiting and diarrhea — to circulate in the winter.
"It's fairly common, particularly in young children who aren't as good at hand hygiene," he said, "and so it's not unusual for us to see cases and outbreaks associated with child care or school settings."
Parents should keep their children home from school if they're showing symptoms of gastroenteritis, he said, and make sure they're washing their hands regularly.
Respiratory hospitalizations decreasing
Sidelinger struck a mostly positive tone about the status of COVID, flu and RSV in Oregon at Thursday's news conference. Respiratory virus hospitalizations have decreased in recent weeks, he said, driven in particular by a big drop in RSV cases.
Flu season also peaked earlier than usual this winter, he said, leading to an earlier seasonal decline. Overall respiratory hospitalization rates are expected to keep dropping despite recent rises in COVID and flu activity, he said.
The spike in flu cases is driven by Influenza B stepping in to fill the gap as Influenza A wanes, he said. The B strain can cause more severe illness, he said, and he urged Oregonians to get flu shots if they haven't already.
Oregon's face mask requirement for healthcare settings — the last remaining piece of the state's mask mandate — could potentially be lifted "over the coming months" if current infection rates and vaccination trends continue, Sidelinger said.