Winter is not just a time for miserable weather, it can be a miserable time for your health too thanks to a string of nasty bugs doing the rounds.
As well as having to contend with a surge in colds, flu and Covid at this time of the year, there’s norovirus to watch out for too.
Known as ‘the winter vomiting bug’, norovirus is a highly contagious stomach bug which causes sudden, watery diarrhoea and projectile vomiting, and is linked to around 12,000 hospital admissions in the UK every year.
Norovirus is always rife during winter and now a new variant has been identified in the UK, contributing to a spike in cases. The ‘Kawasaki bug’ was first detected in Kawasaki, Japan in 2014, and has quickly become a dominant virus across the UK in recent months, accounting for 70 percent of all norovirus cases.
Symptoms of the bug typically appear within one to two days of being infected and tend to last between two and three days, but it can be longer in some cases.
The virus is spread very easily through contaminated food, water and surfaces, or through direct contact with someone who is infected with the bug, as well as through touching surfaces or objects that have the virus on them, and then touching your mouth, or eating food that has been prepared by someone with norovirus.
It’s possible to get norovirus more than once as the bug is always changing, meaning your body is unable to build up long-term resistance to it, so it’s important to be vigilant with washing your hands and to spot the symptoms quickly.
Dr John Burke, Chief Medical Officer at AXA Health, has urged people to look out for the six key symptoms of norovirus this winter to help prevent spreading the bug to others:
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Nausea
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Vomiting
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Diarrhoea
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High temperature
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Headaches
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Exhaustion
Norovirus symptoms can usually be managed at home and should subside after a few days once the virus passes through the body.
Dr Burke said: “Try and keep your meals bland whilst you’re unwell with Norovirus, to avoid further upsetting your stomach. If you are struggling to keep food down, try small amounts of easily digestible foods such as toast and crackers.
“With any illness that causes sickness, it’s really important to maintain fluid levels whilst unwell to prevent dehydration. Our bodies lose a lot of fluids through vomiting and diarrhoea therefore, you must be regularly drinking clear fluids and electrolytes when you are unwell with Norovirus.
“When infected with Norovirus, rest is essential for a quick recovery. It’s best to ensure that you are giving your body adequate time (a minimum of 48 hours) to rest and recover from the virus before returning back to work or school.”
Good hygiene and cleanliness at home is essential to avoid spreading the virus further, so it’s advised that you disinfect any surfaces you come into contact with while ill with a bleach-based cleaner and avoid preparing or touching any food or drink for other people to avoid contamination.
If you are infected with norovirus then you need to avoid contact with other people for a minimum of 48 hours after your symptoms have subsided to minimise further spread.