Protect Yourself From Norovirus

Norovirus is so ubiquitous that almost everyone will be ill with it several times during their life. If you’ve never had it, chances are you will.

The norovirus symptoms can bring utter misery; diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting and stomach cramps and dehydration. Almost everyone who becomes ill with the virus recovers within a few days, although in young children and older adults it can occasionally lead to more serious illness.

Annually, between 19 and 21 million become ill with diarrhoea and vomiting caused by norovirus. Norovirus season peaks in the winter months in the UK, but you can become ill at other times of the year.

Norovirus is contractible through people who are already sick, ingesting food or drink that are contaminated and even touching things tainted with the virus and then putting your fingers in your mouth.

A minuscule amount of the virus on your hands or in your food is enough to make you ill. The virus also spreads rapidly, especially in places such as schools, day-care centres, and nursing homes.

There isn’t a prophylactic vaccine for norovirus, and this may seem obvious, but washing your hands carefully with soap and water and disinfecting surfaces and clothing, can help protect yourself and other people:

• after using the toilet
• when changing nappies
• If you have vomited or have diarrhoea, clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces immediately with disinfectant
• immediately remove and wash clothes or bedclothes, that may be contaminated with vomit or faeces
• wear rubber or disposable gloves while handling soiled items and wash your hands and gloves afterwards
• and always before preparing or eating food

If you are ill, do not prepare food or continue to care for others; not just during your illness but for at least two days after your symptoms end. Importantly, this applies to workers who fall ill, especially in schools, hospitals or food industry settings where you may expose others to norovirus.

Following these simple stages can help protect you and others from norovirus.

The best defence against contracting and spreading Norovirus is to ensure potentially infected areas are cleaned and managed properly. This can be done by using an effective product such as Responsebeta™