Norovirus (winter vomiting virus) has raised its ugly head again.
What are the symptoms? Symptoms include nausea, intense vomiting, watery diarrhoea and stomach cramps. Some patients have a raised temperature, headache aching limbs and fatigue. It normally lasts 1-2 days. Some very young or old patients may need hospital admission if they become very dehydrated. Otherwise there is no need to call a GP.
How do you catch it? Norovirus is very contagious. People are infectious from the time they start feeling ill until 3 days after recovery and often longer. Hands and surfaces can be contaminated by contact with faeces or vomit from infected people. The virus can live on a hard surface for some hours. You can therefore get the condition by eating or drinking infected food or liquid, touching contaminated surfaces and then touching your mouth, sharing food or cutlery or having direct contact with an infected person.
Treatment? It is a virus so antibiotics do not work. The main advice is to avoid becoming dehydration by drinking enough fluid (in sips if you are being sick often) and let the disease run its course.
How do you avoid getting it? Wash your hands carefully with hot water and soap after using the toilet and before eating, handling or preparing food. Disinfect affected areas if someone at home has the symptoms. If you have the condition yourself, do not prepare food for anyone else until 48 hours after the symptoms have subsided.