‘Stay at home’ warning as ‘highly infectious’ bug sweeps UK – and experts warn you can catch it MULTIPLE times

HOSPITALS successful England person been deed by a surge of a "highly infectious" wintertime vomiting bug - and experts person warned you tin drawback it much than once.

Norovirus is continuing to wreak havoc, with caller NHS information revealing determination were much patients successful hospitals past week than astatine immoderate different constituent truthful acold this winter.

The highly contagious microorganism causes unpleasant symptoms, specified arsenic vomiting, diarrhoea, which tin pb to unsafe levels of dehydration and complications similar kidney failure and adjacent death.

Norovirus cases are showing nary signs of stopping, arsenic the information revealed 961 patients a time were successful infirmary with the microorganism past week - up 7 per cent connected the week before, and 69 per cent higher than the aforesaid play past year.

Amy Douglas, Epidemiologist astatine the UK Health Security Agency, said norovirus cases are mode supra what we would usually spot astatine this clip of twelvemonth and outbreaks successful hospitals proceed to rise.

But conscionable due to the fact that you’ve had norovirus doesn’t mean you won’t get it again.

She advised: “It’s truly important that if you person diarrhoea and vomiting, you instrumentality steps to debar passing the corruption on. Please debar visiting radical successful hospitals and attraction homes to forestall passing connected the corruption successful these settings.

“Do 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. This is due to the fact that you tin inactive walk connected the microorganism successful the days aft you halt being sick.

“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.

“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.”

If idiosyncratic has norovirus, they tin assistance forestall infecting different radical by washing their hands with soap and water, cleaning clothes, bedding and toilet areas, and avoiding interaction with others arsenic overmuch arsenic possible.

Symptoms of norovirus to spot

The main symptoms of norovirus usually commencement abruptly and whitethorn include:

• Feeling sick
• Diarrhoea
• Vomiting
• A precocious somesthesia
• A headache
• Aching arms and legs

If you oregon your kid drawback norovirus, you tin usually dainty it astatine home.

The NHS advises: "You'll usually commencement to consciousness amended successful 2 to 3 days.

"Diarrhoea and vomiting tin usually beryllium treated astatine home. The astir important happening is to person tons of fluids to debar dehydration."

The wellness work recommends doing the following:

• stay astatine location and get plentifulness of rest
• drink tons of fluids, specified arsenic h2o oregon squash – instrumentality tiny sips if you consciousness sick
• carry connected bosom oregon vessel feeding your babe – if they're being sick, effort giving tiny feeds much often than usual
• give babies connected look oregon coagulated foods tiny sips of h2o betwixt feeds
• eat erstwhile you consciousness capable to – it whitethorn assistance to debar foods that are fatty oregon spicy
• take paracetamol if you're successful discomfort – cheque the leaflet earlier giving it to your child

You should avoid:

• fruit foodstuff oregon fizzy drinks – they tin marque diarrhoea worse
• making babe look weaker – usage it astatine its accustomed strength
• giving children nether 12 medicine to halt diarrhoea
• giving aspirin to children nether 16

You should telephone 999 oregon spell to A&E if you oregon your kid acquisition the pursuing symptoms below.

Winter illnesses doing the rounds this year

We spot cases of flu, RSV, COVID-19 and norovirus passim the year, but in winter they circulate astatine the aforesaid clip and tin scope precocious levels.

Cases of wintertime illnesses person been peculiarly atrocious this year, arsenic the caller NHS besides revealed determination were an mean of 98, 101 patients successful infirmary each time for the past week - higher than immoderate constituent truthful acold this winter.

Around 96 per cent of big infirmary beds were occupied, which is besides a grounds for this winter.

The bully news - flu rates person dropped since past month's peak, but much than 2,462 patients were inactive hospitalised with the unwellness connected mean each time past week, including 122 successful captious care.

Other wintertime viruses are besides continuing to circulate with astir 1,000 patients connected mean (952) successful infirmary with COVID-19 each time past week - a flimsy increases connected the erstwhile 7 days (995).

While 18 children connected mean were successful infirmary with RSV each time - a alteration from the erstwhile week.

Professor Julian Redhead, NHS National Clinical Director for Urgent and Emergency Care, said: “Hospitals are continuing to dainty hundreds of patients who are sick with the highly infectious and unpleasant norovirus bug, with the complaint of cases astatine the highest level recorded for this clip of twelvemonth since 2020.

“The duplicate pressures of wintertime viruses and problems discharging patients means hospitals are adjacent to afloat – adjacent arsenic much beds person been opened to negociate the accrued demand.

“While pressures connected hospitals remains incredibly high, it’s captious radical proceed to usage NHS services successful the mean mode – utilizing 111 and 111 online if you request proposal and enactment for wellness conditions, and lone utilizing 999 oregon be A&E successful life-threatening emergencies.”