How to prevent norovirus

Cases of norovirus they are going up in the US along with other diseases in what some call a “quad-demic” of viruses.

Often called the stomach flu, noroviruses are actually not part of the same class of viruses as the flu. Norovirus, which causes one to three days of symptoms including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pains, can spread easily and is difficult to prevent.

While norovirus can only cause symptoms for a few days, people still can spread the virus up to two weeks after you start feeling better.

Norovirus is primarily spread by contact with contaminated surfaces or direct contact with someone who has the virus. It can also spread through food, especially raw or undercooked seafood. The virus also mutates quickly, so even if you’ve had it before, you’re not immune to getting it again.

The best way to avoid getting the disease is to wash your hands thoroughly with hot water and soap for 20 seconds before eating or preparing food and after interacting with someone who may be sick.

One thing that won’t kill norovirus is alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Although hand sanitizer is effective against many viruses, norovirus has a protein shell called a capsid that cannot be easily removed with alcohol-based disinfectant products.

Another challenge with norovirus is that it can remain on contaminated surfaces for weeks or months. Surfaces that have been in contact with vomit or diarrhea from a sick person should be cleaned with bleach using gloves and disposable paper towels instead of cloths. Bleach should be allowed to sit on the surface for at least five minutes before cleaning.

Clothing or bedding used by someone who is sick should be washed with detergent and the hottest water possible on the longest possible wash cycle.

there is also an opportunity Norovirus can spread through the air from vomit, so those who are around someone with norovirus, such as health care workers or parents caring for a sick child, should consider wearing a mask to prevent the infection

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