[REPOSTED FROM EREV SHABBOS] Dr. Allen Lempel reached out to TLS in an effort to alert the community about the spread and outbreak of the GI infection in Lakewood.
Gastrointestinal infections are viral, bacterial or parasitic infections that cause gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract involving both the stomach and the small intestine. Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
Dr. Lempel says he in touch with an infectious disease expert, who says the parasite can be eradicated by shocking pools and Mikvaos (if you don’t know how to shock the pool or Mikvah, ask the caretaker).
The doctor recommended this be done immediately, before Shabbos.
Take note, after shocking a pool or Mikvah, you should avoid going into the body of water for at least 45 minutes.
45 minutes is too soon after shocking.
i usually wait 20 min? is that ok k or i should wait 45
Shocking the pool which is a fancy way of saying raising up the chlorine level a bit high might be the solution at this point but a properly maintained pool with a properly maintained pH level and chlorine\sanitizer level will not have any problems whatsoever the difficulty lies in maintaining! Not easy at all.
@zishe Sorry, but your whole statement is inaccurate, and potentially dangerous. Shocking is necessary, even if the chlorine levels are fine.
I am a certified pool technician. The Chlorine levels bandated by the health department are based on The fact that At those levels no Viruses or bacteria can Exist. There are situations where pools are very dirty and not maintained properly And in such situations more chlorine is called for. Do your homework.
How does one get infected? Only from a dirty pool or mikvah? Is it contagious if one does not go into a pool or dirty mikvah? Can one catch it from a toiveling only mikvah? Is it transmisible by human contact? Does it affect small plastic pools?
Does the Doctor’s solution address food-borne GI infections?
Can I run a live electric line into the pool to shock the water with electricity to kill all the germy bacteria in there?
The issue of pool sanitizing should be taken seriously. The comment about electricity is pure leitzanus. It’s no laughing matter! There have been terrible tragedies caused by electricity coming in contact with water.
Do not run any electricity while people are there – it can kill them (in both pool, and in lake, within a certain distance). I don’t know if it does anything regarding producing chlorine in the pool etc.
Does it have to do with camps? My kid was sent home with these symptoms.
How about a second opinion instead of scary headline click bait with one “solution”? I researched every NJ DOH website and PDF and cannot substantiate an “outbreak” of this GI scare. What am I missing? My kid had these symptoms. We kept him hydrated. We cleaned up with 10% bleach and everyone washes their hands with soap and water. BH, he was fine on day 3 and no one else got it.
it can be very dangerous and stay for life a family member of mine has GI and it is very pain full and they can only eat specific foods. if you suspect that you have it contact your doctor as their are treatment plans if its caught early on.
Would it help to get vaccinated and wear a mask before we go into the mikvah since it helps with everything else?
I had those symptoms and tested positive for the parasite.
It’s almost 4 weeks and I’m still sick.
It’s not a joke.
This parasite is found in water. Chlorine is not completely affective. (I’m assuming thats why they want to put high amounts). All you need is one person with this parasite to use the mikvah/pool.
It is also passed through stool and very contagious that way. To avoid the parasite, It’s important to practice good hygiene after using the bathroom or changing a child’s diaper.
Wash your hands before you eat as the way you get this parasite is by ingesting it.
If you have symptoms yourself you must be very careful when handling food as you can contaminate it.
It’s wise to use have your own bathroom and make sure to wash your hands extra well.
I think that the Doctors deserve lots and lots of respect.
comments like yours are not helping.
A number of years ago when former president Obama signed into law the whole Obama Care story, you may have not realized that at the same time, he cut the salaries of most Doctors about half and some even got their salaries reduced to about 40% of their original salary. Many Doctors quit during those times. Please let us have respect for the few Doctors that are still actively working because they want to help us and they are in it in order to make a killing. They really want to help you.
Today a plumber and also the air conditioning professionals (during summer months) are making more money than the Doctors. Please let us have a little respect.
Correction:
They are not in it in order to make a killing.
I have plenty of respect for the doctors and they mean well. BUT the doctors must use their seichel and not follow the CDC blindly. Everyone today understands the corruption of the CDC – but the doctors are still marching blindly to their tune. My snide remark was after a berating from these same doctors for having the audacity to not wear a mask in their office….ridiculous!
!!!!! :):):)
Also eating junk food – it helps the pharmaceutical industry earn more money.
The Center for Deception and Corruption was just modeh (admitted) to everything experts had been saying – natural infection DOES help; vaccines don’t prevent spread etc.
(It seems that now, before midterm elections, they have to go down on pressure; Biden admin. has lowest rating in history of US president, and much to do with mandates – which even many pro-vaccine experts were against.)
I’m not saying anything about his virus; I don’t know. In general, eating healthfully is one of the main things that help the immune system, and many people have junk food for breakfast, lunch, supper and snacks, with all due respect.
It is for this reason that I wear head-to-toe shvim-kleid.
They are very thick and protective from a slew of diseases and mosquito bites.
In my pool I am known as “The Shvim-Kleid Tech”
Broocha and Hatzloocha.
Can the good Dr. provide us with a name for this ‘parasite’?
The parasite is called cryptosporidium (crypto). I called the office to verify.
I asked someone who works there (didn’t call.)
Dr. Lempel: Please do not focus on that one comment that was not so great.
Please focus on all of the thousands and thousands of people who read the Lakewood Scoop and they did not post any type of comment that was disrespectful.