Healthy living
Body matters
Stay at home if you catch stomach bug
Call your GP for advice rather than visiting the surgery if you're affected by the winter vomiting virus
If you have already been struck down with norovirus, you are not alone.
According to the latest figures, gastroenteritis caused by the the winter vomiting bug has now affected two million people in the UK. That's double the number who caught the disease by this time last year, making it the worst outbreak since 2002. Around 100,000 patients are catching the bug every week and numbers are likely to peak later this month.
"Every year we see an outbreak of the norovirus, but this year it is particularly bad," says Katherine Murphy of the Patients Association.
"People do need to take extra precautions to try and stop the disease spreading. Regular hand washing with soap and water is the best thing you can do, and try and avoid areas where lots of people congregate if you can."
The virus, which is highly infectious, comes on suddenly causing vomiting and diarrhoea, and symptoms usually last up to 48 hours. It can easily sweep through schools and offices, and cases have been found in more than a dozen hospitals.
For most people, it is simply uncomfortable and inconvenient, but for some, including very young children and the elderly, it can be life threatening.
"The major problem is dehydration, so anyone affected should make sure they drink plenty of fluids," says Murphy. "Babies and older vulnerable people can dehydrate very quickly and may require hospital treatment."
Most people who come down with norovirus won't need to see their doctor, however. Dr Steve Field, the chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners, says the best thing to do is to stay at home, take paracetamol, drink plenty of fluids and call the GP for advice.
Sufferers should wait for 48 hours after symptoms have ceased completely before returning to work or social events, to try and stop the disease spreading any further.
The good news that most people will recover completely and there are no long-term harmful effects. The bad news is that immunity is only short-lasting, so you could be struck down again next year.
How it spreads: The virus is easily transmitted from one person to another. It can be transmitted by contact with an infected person; by consuming contaminated food or water or by contact with contaminated surfaces or objects.
Symptoms: they begin around 12 to 48 hours after becoming infected. They will start with the sudden onset of nausea followed by projectile vomiting and watery diarrhoea. Some people may have a raised temperature, headaches and aching limbs.
Treatment: there is no specific treatment for norovirus apart from letting the illness run its course. It is important to drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.
Useful websites:
The Patients Association. www.patients-association.org.uk Helpline: 0845 608 4455
Health Protection Agency. www.hpa.org.uk Tel: 0207 759 2700/2701
Reader comments
This is a very good article but how do we make people more aware of the dangers of not washing their hands and leading a responsible hygenic lifestyle. My wife was halfway through her Chemotherapy course for breast cancer so her immune system was at its lowest but inspite all our precautions she caught the Norovirus and was rushed into hospital and on Christmas Day we thought we had lost her but due to the skill of the Doctors and Nurses in Queen Alexandras Hospital Cosham she survived and now after 3 weeks in intensive care she is home and gradually recovering. Whilst visiting the hospital every dday I noticed when i used the toilets in the main hospital entrance men came in and out having used the pans and urinals they did not wash their hands so what chance do we have of getting them to use the special hand cleanser in the corridors and wards. I have many other observations on the subject of MRSA having spent so much time visiting the hospital. Mike Baker
Posted by: Mike Baker | 11/01/2008 18:41:09
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