How to Avoid the Nasty Norovirus in the Stomach
Nobody likes stomach problems. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea – and, if you’re lucky, all of the above. And if that particular stomach bug turns out to be a norovirus, you’ll have the added benefit of knowing it’s super contagious.
The CDC told Today.com that norovirus cases are on the rise in all 14 states that report on their norovirus surveillance program. Noro is not a new virus, but it tends to increase during the winter, and it appears to be following that program this year. So here’s what you need to know.
What is norovirus?
Norovirus is a virus that can cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and abdominal pain. Sometimes it can cause headaches and body aches. A bad noro cause can cause dehydration, especially in children and the elderly.
Norovirus can be spread through contaminated food or water, or by touching surfaces contaminated with the virus. This virus is especially contagious and long-lived, so you need to wash your hands frequently if you’re sick or know someone who is sick, and you’ll want to sanitize anything that the sick person, or, you know, the fiend might have touched. Never share food and utensils with a sick child, and wash your hands after changing a diaper for a sick child.
What is stomach flu?
I hate the name “stomach flu” because it’s not the flu at all. “Influenza” is a nickname for influenza, a completely different virus. But we often use the term “stomach flu” to refer to any gastrointestinal illness. Stomach flu can be caused by a virus you picked up from a surface, or food poisoning from any of a variety of viruses, bacteria, and other microorganisms.
How is norovirus different from other viruses?
A few fun facts about norovirus, according to the CDC:
- Hand sanitizer doesn’t work well against norovirus. Wash your hands if possible.
- Norovirus can be transmitted through vegetables or even oysters grown in contaminated water. The current norovirus outbreak has been linked to Texas oysters .
- Rapid steaming (such as shellfish) does not always kill norovirus. You need to cook the oysters to 145°F to make sure they can’t spread the virus.
- Patients do not have to prepare meals or care for others, and this is especially important with norovirus. Virus particles can get on food and cause illness in others.