Gwinnett officials investigating illness at elementary school
Gwinnett County officials are trying to find the cause of an illness that affected a number of Britt Elementary School students Thursday and today.
Twenty-five students left school early Friday and 102 students were not in school Friday, said Gwinnett school district spokesman Bernard Watson. An undetermined number of students went home early Thursday. The school has slightly more than 600 students.
Principal Doris Jones wrote a letter that was posted on the school’s website that said the students had become ill with gastroenteritis, which causes diarrhea and vomiting.
“Based on the symptoms reported, the Health Department suspects Norovirus as the cause of illness. Norovirus is easily spread person to person and can be spread through food,” Jones wrote.
Jones wrote the school is working with county health department officials to determine what caused the illness and put measures in place to stop the spread of the illness.
About the Author
Eric Stirgus joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2001. He currently writes about higher education and has assisted in the newsroom’s COVID-19 vaccine coverage. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Eric is active in the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists and the Education Writers Association and enjoys mentoring aspiring journalists.
