The Ames Public Library is open today after being closed the last two days. There was not enough staff to run the library after 30 employees got ill with what has been diagnosed as norovirus. City spokesperson, Sue Gwiasda says they don’t really know where the virus came from. “It would be similar I think to trying to track down how somebody got a cold. Viruses are just a fact of the time of year,” Gwiasda says.
She says when people are inside in close proximity, illnesses spread faster. The library re-opened after a thorough scrubbing. She says they used the state and local health department guidelines to clean the library. “We feel very confident as long as people maintain just their regular personal hygiene that we encourage them to do every day, that things will continue along and we won’t see a situation like this again,” according to Gwiasda.
While they aren’t exactly sure where the virus originated, Gwiasda says they did learn an important thing in preventing any future outbreaks.
“Stay home if you’re sick that was probably one of the bigger things that we learned about this. You need to stay home if you are sick, or even if you are not feeling great, and take some time for yourself to get better,” She says. Gwiasda says the library patrons have been very understanding about the situation.