You said -- "I'm gonna take a WAG that the hotel staff isn't primarily Swedes, Germans, or Irish and English isn't their 1st language . And some of them have, oddly enough, the same social security number."
Well, I would have to disagree with the characterization of that, in terms of this Norwalk Virus. That stuff is highly contagious and spreads rapidly and can be picked off doorknobs and counter-tops and can easily be resident in crowded areas.
When an "outbreak" happens, it's a literal "explosion". That's how contagious that stuff is.
In areas with a *lot* of people passing through, you're going to end up with infections. Since it's *so highly contagious* -- and I've seen that *directly* with three of us in a family getting it within hours of each other and not having any sanitary problems in our household -- that stuff can jump from *anyone* to anyone else.
So, although those employees may not speak English very well and some of them may have those same numbers that you talk about -- I'll assure you that people with proper numbers and ones who speak perfect English are spreading to others with equally good numbers and good English.
Regards,
Star Traveler
P.S. -- And part of the problem of guarding yourself against this has to do with the period of time that you are contagious, versus the time when the symptoms appear, to the point where you know what you've got. That time period can create the "explosion" of infections.
The issue isn't this particular virus. It's ALL the diseases that 'we' are now being exposed too since the ILLEGAL INVASION started en masse.
BEDBUGS in 4 Star Hotels, e Coli outbreaks in the food chain, TB - once 'wiped out' in the US is back BIG, then PLAGUE, Leprosy, Typhoid, Ebola, Hemorrhagic Fervor, etc, etc, etc, etc. - all hitting the US - some 'minor' (ha), some major, all since the 3rd World invasion. 20-25 years ago these diseases did NOT exist in the USA.
The fact is that personal HYGIENE is an unknown where they come from, i.e.: - Mexico, Central America, and Africa. And with their 'quaint' customs and oddball religions - like living with chickens and livestock then sacrificing them in their yards, it's only going to get WORSE, unless we stop it. There wasn't a dam Health Inspection and Quarantine at Ellis Island for kicks.
Sheesh, you can't legally bring in a banana from the Bahamas but 10 million illegals a year are 'allowed' to come in with only God knows what disease.