Have you been sick recently or have you been spared so far? If you’ve been spared, keep doing what you’re doing, because cases of a dreaded stomach bug are surging in parts of the United States.
There were 91 outbreaks of norovirus, sometimes called the “winter vomiting disease,” reported during the week of Dec. 5. That’s up from 69 outbreaks the last week of November, according to the CDC.
Noroviruses are a group of viruses that cause acute gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach or intestines. It’s the leading cause of vomiting and diarrhea, and foodborne illness in the United States
According to the CDC, each year there are about 2,500 reported norovirus outbreaks in the United States. While outbreaks occur throughout the year, they are most common from November to April.
Here are five things I wish I didn’t know about norovirus:
1. Hand sanitizer does not work well against norovirus
You read that right. That little bottle of hand sanitizer in your bag or in your car won’t fully protect you.
That’s because hand sanitizer does not work well against norovirus, according to the CDC. You can use hand sanitizers in addition to washing your hands but don’t skip washing your hands.
You should wash your hands well and often using soap and water. Wash for at least 20 seconds after using the toilet or changing diapers, before eating, preparing, or handling food, and before giving yourself or someone else medicine.
2. Noroviruses can survive on surfaces for up to 12 hours
Health experts say that norovirus is very persistent in the environment. It can survive on hard surfaces for up to 12 hours and soft surfaces for up to 12 days. It can live for months, maybe even years, in contaminated still water.
This means norovirus can survive on door handles, sinks, table tops, and glassware for up to 12 hours, and on something like a carpet for up to 12 days. Noroviruses can survive temperatures as high as 145 degrees.
3. Most disinfecting wipes aren’t effective
Health experts say that most disinfecting wipes on the market aren’t completely effective at killing norovirus.
Cleaners with bleach or hydrogen peroxide are believed to be effective. The CDC recommends using a chlorine bleach solution with a concentration of 1,000 to 5,000 ppm (5 to 25 tablespoons of household bleach [5% to 8%] per gallon of water) to disinfect an area contaminated with norovirus.
The EPA has a list of registered disinfecting products that can be used against norovirus.
4. The symptoms (no thank you)
A person usually develops symptoms 12 to 48 hours after exposure to norovirus.
Here are the most common symptoms of norovirus:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Stomach pain
Other symptoms include fever, headache, and body aches. People with norovirus may feel extremely ill, and vomit or have diarrhea many times a day. The symptoms can lead to dehydration, especially in young children, older adults, and people with other illnesses.
5. Norovirus can spread very easily
Norovirus can spread very easily. It only takes as few as 10 viral particles to make someone ill, according to health experts.
The CDC says you can get norovirus in the following ways:
- Having direct contact with someone with norovirus, like caring for them, sharing food or eating utensils with them, or eating food handled by them.
- Eating food or drinking liquids that are contaminated with norovirus.
- Touching contaminated objects or surfaces and then putting your unwashed fingers in your mouth.
Most outbreaks occur when infected people spread the virus to others through direct contact. An infected person can still spread norovirus for two weeks or more after they feel better.
Learn more about norovirus here: Everything you need to know about norovirus as cases surge in US