Norovirus outbreak warning as winter vomiting bug surges - health chiefs issue urgent advice

Norovirus is simply a highly infectious virus, truthful radical with it should enactment distant from workplaces, schools and buying centres, to halt passing it connected to others, UKHSA has urged

Health experts are informing that the unpleasant wintertime vomiting bug - which comes with days of sickness and diarrhoea - is connected the emergence again.

Norovirus is highly infectious truthful radical with it should enactment distant from workplaces, schools and buying centres, to halt passing it connected to others. Lesley Larkin, Lead Epidemiologist astatine UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said: “Norovirus cases are connected the emergence again arsenic we caput into winter.

“Take steps to debar passing the corruption on. If you person diarrhoea and/or vomiting, bash not instrumentality to work, schoolhouse oregon nursery until 48 hours aft your symptoms person stopped and don’t hole nutrient for others successful that clip either. If you are unwell, debar visiting radical successful hospitals and attraction homes to forestall passing connected the corruption successful these settings.

“Washing your hands with soap and lukewarm h2o and utilizing bleach-based products to cleanable surfaces volition besides assistance halt infections from spreading. Alcohol gels bash not termination norovirus truthful don’t trust connected these alone.”

The latest figures are taken from the extremity of October and November. There was a a driblet successful weeks 43 and 44, which coincided with the October half-term schoolhouse holidays successful England, but norovirus reporting has started to summation again successful week 45.

The fig of norovirus outbreaks reported to the Hospital Norovirus Outbreak Reporting System (HNORS) since the commencement of the 2024/2025 play is 5% higher than the 5-season average.

It is apt that aggregate factors are contributing to the observed summation successful laboratory reports, specified arsenic ongoing changes to the epidemiology pursuing the COVID-19 pandemic, changes successful investigating and reporting to nationalist surveillance.

Norovirus symptoms see nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea but tin besides see a precocious temperature, abdominal symptom and aching limbs. Norovirus infections tin origin dehydration, particularly successful susceptible groups specified arsenic young children and older oregon immunocompromised people, truthful if you bash get sick it is important to portion plentifulness of fluids during that time.