Scotties plagued by nasty virus
Players, including two from B.C., affected by outbreak of stomach bug
RED DEER, Alta. — The traditional colours of the rings at major curling events are red and blue, but officials at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts may want to consider adding a green ring this week in Red Deer.
That would be in honour of the sickly skin-tones of a growing number of players who’ve been felled this week by a violent stomach bug that has been spreading throughout the Enmax Centrium.
It started on Saturday with Territories’ front-end player Megan Cormier, who had to miss the opening ceremonies, her team’s opening game and most of the second.
Late Sunday, B.C. third Sasha Carter picked it up, and wasn’t even able to make it from the arena to the team van before suffering from, uh, distress. Carter didn’t leave her hotel room on Monday, and late Monday, B.C. skip Kelly Scott started feeling the effects.
Then on Tuesday morning, two Territories players, skip Kerry Galusha and front-ender Wendy Miller, couldn’t get out of their room, leaving just three players to take to the ice for a morning game against Quebec’s Marie-france Larouche.
“It’s a nasty one,” said a smiling Carter, who was back in action (as was Scott) on Tuesday to take on Alberta’s Heather Nedohin.
Due with her second child in August, Carter consulted with a doctor on Monday before making the decision to return to the rink.
“It was a pretty tough day,” she said. “I wish I could tell you the warning signs. I didn’t have them. Other than you don’t have much time.”
Officials were taking measures to prevent the bug from spreading on Tuesday. Bottles of hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes were placed at ice level, and players were told to avoid pre-game handshakes for the afternoon draw.
It’s not a new occurrence at the Scotties. Media director Robin Wilson said a similar outbreak took place at the 1999 Scotties in Charlottetown.
“There were more players than this, and a lot of the organizers, too,” said Wilson. “The hotel went through their entire heating and air conditioning system to see if there was a problem because it was so unusual to have so many people get sick all at the same time. There weren’t any lasting effects, but we had two or three days of misery. And everybody was feeling it. I got sick, too.”
The Territories hung tough in its game with Quebec and were tied 5-5 through eight before Quebec stole two in the ninth for the win.
Cormier wasn’t even supposed to play on Tuesday morning — she’s part of a three-player rotation for the two front-end positions.
“I wake up, take my shower and look at my phone and Wendy texted me, ‘I’ve been throwing up all night. You’re in,’ “said Cormier. “Then I started getting ready, and Kerry then said that she wasn’t feeling well, either. I’m feeling fine now, a hundred per cent; but I gave it to all of them.”