Given that this “stomach flu virus” makes 20 million people
fall ill to it just in America alone, is the norovirus the greatest public
health threat to the global restaurant industry?
By: Ringo Bones
Even the exemplar hygiene standards of America’s Italian
restaurants – given they are statistically the least likely to give their
customers food borne illnesses in a recent study – whenever that rare but
inevitable food born illness incidence finally occurs, chances are it is caused
by the norovirus, commonly known as the “stomach flu virus” or gastroenteritis
in people. Primarily spread whenever restaurant workers still report to work
even if they are sick with the virus and therefore have a full-blown infection
of the virus because they badly need the money that they can’t avoid to skip
reporting to work and recuperate at home just because of a bearable yet very
contagious viral infection. Given the prevailing austere economic environment
of America and the rest of the world, will norovirus infections in major
metropolitan areas across the world likely to reach epidemic proportions sooner
rather than later?
Given the notoriety of most restaurant proprietor’s
inability to compensate their workers during sick leave – even mandatorily
required ones by prevailing public health codes – norovirus “stomach flu”
or gastroenteritis incidences across America’s major metropolitan areas and the rest of the world
could reach epidemic proportions. Making norovirus the current least discussed
public health threat by policymakers. Lack of proper sick leave compensation is
the very reason why the norovirus is currently very prevalent in the United
State’s restaurant industry since the September 2008 global financial crisis.
