Sudden onset of diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal cramps, these are the common symptoms of a norovirus infection that would absolutely ruin your day!
What is a norovirus infection?
Norovirus has a big impact on people’s health. As the CDC estimates, noroviruses are responsible for more than half of all food-borne disease outbreaks each year and tare the most common cause of diarrhea in adults and children.
Norovirus is a small virus that is highly contagious among humans. Noroviruses are a group of viruses that cause gastroenteritis, more commonly known as the “stomach flu”, wherein inflammation of the stomach and large intestine lining occur. They are said to be the leading cause of gastroenteritis in the U.S.
How can we acquire the virus?
People acquire the virus by ingesting material contaminated with small amounts of infected feces or fluids. Food and water may be contaminated during processing or handling. Noroviruses are sometimes called food poisoning because they can be transmitted through food that’s been contaminated with the virus.
The hallmark symptoms include nausea and vomiting, watery diarrhea and stomach cramps. The illness usually lasts two to three days and resolves by itself.
So, if you have norovirus, all you have to do is to help ease the symptoms by:
- drinking plenty of water to avoid dehydration
- eating foods that are easy to digest.
- staying at home, norovirus is contagious so don’t go to your General Practitioner because there’s nothing your GP can do while you have it.
- contact your GP to seek advice if your symptoms last longer than a few days or if you already have a serious illness
How can we prevent norovirus from spreading?
These are the following helpful tips that prevent the virus from spreading:
- don’t share towels and flannels
- disinfect surfaces that an infected person has touched
If you have norovirus, you may continue to be infectious for a short period after your symptoms stop. You should therefore avoid preparing food and direct contact with others for at least 48 hours after your symptoms disappear.
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