What to know about ‘the sprinter of viruses’ at the Olympics

Olympic officials made the right call in postponing the Canada-Finland women's hockey game on Thursday after several players on the Finnish team came down with norovirus, doctors say. 

TORONTO – Olympic officials made the right call in postponing the Canada-Finland women’s hockey game on Thursday after several players on the Finnish team came down with norovirus, doctors say.

“This is the sprinter of viruses. This thing moves fast,” said Dr. Nitin Mohan, a physician and epidemiologist at Western University in London, Ont.

“(Officials) did a great job to suspend the game, which likely prevented a spread to the Canadian team,” he said.

Switzerland’s women’s hockey team was isolating in Milan on Friday after one of its player was diagnosed with norovirus. Canada is scheduled to face the Swiss on Saturday.

Here are a few things to know about norovirus.

WHAT IS NOROVIRUS?

Norovirus is a common cause of gastrointestinal illness usually characterized by the sudden onset of vomiting and/or diarrhea. People often call it “stomach flu.”

“The best name from my perspective is the Brits call it ‘winter vomiting disease,'” said Dr. Allison McGeer, an infectious disease specialist at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto.