DENVER — There’s a stomach bug going around the Denver area keeping doctors busy.

Pediatrician Michael Simones says, “The hallmark symptoms of course are vomiting and diarrhea and perhaps a person might have vomiting and diarrhea both at the same time.”

Dr. Simones is not the only one seeing cases of the nasty stuff pick up in the past few weeks. Many patients like 8-year-old Evelyn have been taking time off school because of the virus. She describes the bug as, “Not good.”

Her stomach ache lasted a few days and when it got worse, her mother Jessica Peterman, decided to take her to the doctor. Peterman says, “It can be hard. When they first say stomach ache you’re like, ‘ok go to school, you’re fine.’ When it starts to drag on and they are not eating it’s a little disconcerting.”

Dr. Simones says, “You really should call your doctor if the symptoms last more than several days, if there’s any blood in what you throw up or any blood in your diarrhea.”

Staying hydrated is key. To try to avoid getting sick, wash your hands with soap and water after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after changing dirty diapers.

Dr. Simones says, “If you know that somebody is sick, certainly try to limit direct contact or intimate contact with that person because you can get the virus from touching a person that’s sick.”