If you are at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland this week, it might be a good idea to stock up on hand sanitizer.
That's because some members of the delegation from California — an estimated dozen or so out of 550 delegates — have reportedly come down with norovirus and are currently under quarantine, the Sacramento Bee reported Tuesday morning.
News of the outbreak spread Tuesday, the second day of the RNC. Norovirus can spread either via person-to-person contact or through contaminated food.
Those who contract the virus experience symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting — lending new meaning to the notion of the 2016 RNC being something of a shitshow.
The delegates are staying at the Kalahari Resort, a hotel an hour outside Cleveland, where a state party leader warned delegates to stay off the buses that shuttle delegates to the Quicken Loans Arena if they are experiencing either of the above-mentioned symptoms.
There's also concern that the virus may spread before the convention is over.
"Party support staff arrived last week ahead of the guests, so there’s concern about the virus spreading quickly in the closed environment. Guests have been instructed to wash their hands well and frequently, avoid shaking hands and not to share food," reported the Sacramento Bee.
Our favorite detail, from the Bee's report:
"At a breakfast for delegates, large dispensers of hand sanitizer stood near the omelet stations."
This article appears in Jul 14-21, 2016.