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Q&A: Norovirus is on the rise. Tips for preventing the 'stomach flu'

Norovirus is the leading cause of vomiting, diarrhea and foodborne illness in the country, and it surges again during the holidays.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) recently warned in its weekly bulletin that norovirus—commonly known as the stomach flu—is on the rise.

As of December 12, norovirus levels in wastewater in the western and southern U.S.is listed as "moderate," according to data linked to the department's website, but "high" in the Midwest and Northeast.On December 20, levels were high at the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant as well as in San Francisco.

Unlike the respiratory viruses that cause the flu, COVID-19 and the common cold, norovirus is highly contagious and can be spread from person to person.This could be both good news and bad news.

Here's how to educate yourself about the signs and symptoms of norovirus and how to increase your chances of avoiding the virus, said Dean Blumberg, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at UC Davis Health.

Is Norovirus clear?

Norovirus is one of the many enteric viruses that cause diarrhea, vomiting and cramps that can last for days.Sometimes, this can lead to dangerous levels of dehydration.

When you hear about nasty outbreaks of stomach flu in places like cruise ships, day care centers and senior facilities, chances are you're hearing about norovirus.Sometimes it is even called "cruise ship virus".These are all places where people spend time near each other and where they usually eat and drink together from the same food source.

For many people, such situations also occur at holiday gatherings.

How long do norovirus symptoms last?

Symptoms usually begin 12-48 hours after contact with the virus, according to CDPH.A person may break down and / or have diarrhea many times a day, with symptoms usually lasting 1-3 days.

How is Norovirus treated?

There is no specific treatment for norovirus and it usually gets better on its own.There are things you can do to reduce symptoms, including resting and drinking extra fluids to replace the fluids you lose quickly with diarrhea and vomiting.

When symptoms are severe, a health care provider may give intravenous (IV) fluids to treat severe dehydration.

No licensed antiviral treatment (such as Tamiflu) is currently available for norovirus.Some off-label agents are sometimes used in immunocompromised patients.

How does norovirus spread?

It hurts, but norovirus spreads the most when particles of vomit or feces from an infected person get into an uninfected person.This can happen in several ways.

- Food and drink: If people do not wash their hands when preparing food, this can cause harm.

- Surfaces and objects: If your fingers go into your mouth or on objects such as a chewed pen, norovirus can travel with them.

- Physical contact: shaking hands or caring for a sick family member can also spread the virus.

According to the CDPH, a person is most contagious from the moment they start feeling sick a few days after symptoms stop.However, they may be contagious for two weeks or longer after they feel better.

Can you catch norovirus by breathing it in?

Breathing in virus particles is not thought to be the primary way norovirus is spread.It does not infect your body by eating cells in your nose, mouth or airways like respiratory viruses.Instead, it infects the intestines after it reaches you through food or saliva.

In general, wearing a mask in crowded environments is not recommended to prevent norovirus.However, being around an infected person when they are sick or cleaning them can expose you to small amounts of vomit or feces that contain the virus.In theory, these could end up in your mouth, so wearing a mask while cleaning is still a good idea.

How does norovirus spread?

Norovirus is highly contagious, with transmission characteristics that exceed flu and COVID but less than measles.

Why is norovirus so contagious?

Armor, for one.Norovirus has a tougher protein outer shell than the soft, fatty coating around viruses like the flu or the novel coronavirus (COVID).

It protects norovirus from many things that can kill less virus, such as:

- Temperature change: Noroviruses can survive temperatures as low as 145°F and below freezing, helping them survive food storage and processing.

- Acidic conditions: Norovirus can survive exposure to stomach acid.

- Cleaning products: Hand sanitizer is ineffective against norovirus.And don't do most common wipes or cleaning products, unless they're registered to kill norovirus.

- Weather and physical contact: It can survive for days or weeks on doorknobs, countertops, phones, and hard surfaces.

The amount of norovirus required to cause illness is also remarkably small – just 18 to 1,000 virus particles.One episode of vomiting contains enough virus to infect 150,000 people.

How can I protect myself from norovirus?

First, do not eat food prepared by sick people or those who are sick.But this can be difficult to prevent.So you can make sure you wash your hands with soap for at least 20 minutes at the most important time.

A simple rule might be, "Before you put anything in my mouth, make sure you wash your hands first, especially when you're in a group or around someone who is sick."

If you're really worried about norovirusHere are some examples of times when you might want to make sure you wash your hands before eating:

- At a shared meal, after the meal served is finished and you have loaded your plate.

- When eating snacks, use shared utensils at the dining table or pour a drink from a shared bottle.

- No one's hand, I'll have the baggage and the baggung with the trick.

- In a restaurant after touching common items such as menus or serving utensils at a salad bar or buffet.

- In the workplace, if you snack while using a computer or other device.

If you can't wash your hands before handling food and you're really worried about norovirus, you can simply eat with utensils.

What dishwashing detergent best kills norovirus?

Washing dishes and utensils in the dishwasher is the most reliable way to prevent the spread of norovirus.Because the water reaches 140–160°F during the wash cycle.

The combination of hot water and detergents used in dishwashers is enough to destroy plates and cutlery infected with norovirus.No special precautions are needed other than washing methods.

Can I monitor norovirus levels?

Public health officials can look for trends and peaks by looking at how much virus is showing up at wastewater treatment plants in different communities using tools like the WastewaterSCAN program.

State and local health officials are also tracking norovirus outbreaks when two or more people become infected from the same source.They may publish warnings through the media and social networks.

Wastewaterscan searches data visually