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What you need to know about that nasty stomach bug going around Mass.
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Tickets for both Boston Calling and Red Sox spring training go on sale today at 10 a.m. — though those warmer pastures feel far away on this frigid morning. (Even the turkeys want to come inside.)
Now, let’s slide into the news:
It’s not just cruise ships: Massachusetts is seeing an increase in norovirus cases this winter. Data from the state Department of Public Health shows confirmed cases of the disease hit 279 last month. That’s more than double the previous month’s count and up nearly 150% from December 2023. In total, Massachusetts reported over 2,000 cases of the fast-moving gastrointestinal disease in 2024, according to Larry Madoff, the medical director for DPH’s infectious disease bureau. “That’s just counted cases,” Madoff told WBUR’s Amy Sokolow. “There are undoubtedly more that we’re not capturing through a lab test.”
- What’s behind the trend? The country is currently in the midst of the worst norovirus season since 2012. According to Madoff, the virus is seasonal to the winter. But he speculates this steep uptick is due to holiday gatherings and a general decrease in immunity to the virus after several years of COVID precautions. People are also simply getting tested for it more. “There are now panels of tests that are done together when someone has a gastrointestinal illness,” he said. “Norovirus is on those panels.”
- What’s the impact? Madoff says norovirus isn’t putting a big strain on the hospital system. While it’s certainly unpleasant, with symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea, it also tends to be “a mild-to-moderate, self-limited illness,” he said.
- How does it spread? Madoff says the most common exposure is person to person. The virus can spread through the air, and can even survive on surfaces for days or weeks. You can also get it from contaminated food, with leafy greens, fresh fruit and shellfish being the most common culprits.
- How to avoid it: An unusual quirk of norovirus is it’s resistant to many common disinfectants. So it’s extra-important to wash your hands with soap and water, rather than hand sanitizer, Madoff said. Also, stay away from people with symptoms.
- If you have symptoms: Stay home and stay hydrated. But there is some good news: the disease passes relatively quickly. According to Madoff, people tend to get better in a just day or two.
- Go deeper: NPR reports winter illnesses are back in a big way.
Speaking of health: Gov. Maura Healey is slated to sign two health care-related bills into law today. Both were among the pile of bills that State House lawmakers couldn’t find a compromise on last summer. But after a few months of closed-door negotiations, Beacon Hill leaders unveiled — and passed — deals during the quiet week between Christmas and New Year’s. Here are the basics on both bills:
- Prescription drug costs: The bill caps or eliminates out-of-pocket costs for certain chronic disease medications. For example, it puts a $25 limit on co-pays for certain name-brand medications, like insulin for diabetes. The bill also gives the state new oversight over drug pricing and the controversial middlemen — known as pharmacy benefit managers or PBMs — who help set drug prices.
- Hospital oversight: Proposed in the wake of the Steward Health Care crisis, the bill gives the state more oversight power over health care transactions involving private equity investors and other for-profit organizations. It also includes harsher penalties for hospitals that don’t comply with data reporting requirements.
Meanwhile on Beacon Hill: Healey said yesterday she thinks broker’s fees should be “abolished.” During an appearance on another local, audio-based news outlet, Healey said she “totally” supports getting rid of the fees on renters, which are often equal to one month of rent. “I think they should go away,” she said.
- The backdrop: Last summer, the Senate passed a bill that would require broker’s fees to be paid by the party who originally hired the broker — typically the landlord. However, the provision was ultimately left out of the of big housing bill the governor signed into law, amid apparent opposition from the House.
- What’s next: Senate President Karen Spilka hinted in her 2025 inaugural speech last week that her chamber will “try again to shift the burden of brokers’ fees from renters.”
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