Oh no: Several people have been taken to the ER after eating at Chipotle

You have to believe us when we say we were some of the first to give Chipotle a second chance after the restaurant’s E.coli outbreak in early 2016. But this week, Chipotle is again the source of an illness outbreak in Sterling, Virginia.

According to BusinessInsider.com, several Chipotle customers reported vomiting, diarrhea, severe stomach pains, dehydration and low grade fevers to iwaspoisoned.com after eating at the Sterling Chipotle this past Friday and Saturday. This sudden illness also sent two people to the ER. The Sterling restaurant closed down after notifying local health officials of the issue.

The restaurant reopened on Tuesday following a deep clean and sanitation.

The good news is that Jim Marsden, Chipotle's executive director of food safety, told BusinessInsider.com that "reported symptoms are consistent with norovirus. Norovirus does not come from our food supply, and it is safe to eat at Chipotle."

The Mayo Clinic states that norovirus symptoms can appear 12 to 48 hours after exposure to the virus and can last up to three days. Norovirus is passed through people, therefore this outbreak was likely caused by an infected employee in the service chain who may or may not have known they were sick.

The eight instances reported to iwaspoisoned.com, a site that lets customers anonymously report illness after eating at restaurants, all included stomach cramps, dizziness, and vomiting.

The good news is that your local Chipotle is probably fine — unless an employee there also has the norovirus, but that would be an extreme coincidence. This is a good lesson for employees everywhere. If you feel sick, please call out from work to protect your customers and coworkers.