United States: Infectious disease doctors already sound the alarm because there is an outbreak of a stomach bug spreading all across Connecticut, mostly in children and elderly people, causing them to vomit and have diarrhea.
More about ‘the bug’
The bug called Norovirus appears to be spreading at a fast pace, although it appears every winter, as confirmed by Dr. Scott Roberts, an associate medical director for infection prevention at Yale New Haven Hospital, as courant.com reported.
So, experts have advised regularly washing hands and keeping things clean with bleach whenever possible.
Roberts said, “Last year it looks like we peaked in March, so maybe that will happen again. Time will tell,” and, “But we are hearing anecdotal reports of patients with norovirus certainly in the pediatric setting, and our lab data is reflecting that.”
This winter saw a higher peak
As per the experts, the cases were worst last winter, as seen the situation so far. However, this past December also saw a higher peak.
Rober said, “It seems so far it’s not as bad as last year, although it seems like we’re still on the upward trend, so I don’t know where this is going to peak,” as courant.com reported.
Cases are rising across the United States
Throughout the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states, as well as in Michigan and in the West, Norovirus is spreading, as per Dr. Ulysses Wu, the chief epidemiologist and system director for infectious diseases for Hartford HealthCare.
Wu said, “The place where you may have heard about it the most was cruise ships,” and, “We see this in closed settings, military settings, college campuses, nursing homes, and schools and daycares.”
Deaths and other problems caused by the bug
Wu said, “There’s about 900 deaths a year in the United States, and the majority of them are over age 65,” and “There’s probably 450,000 (Emergency Department) visits due to norovirus every single year as well.”
Moreover, Norovirus is “the most common cause of epidemic gastrointestinal disease across the world,” he mentioned.
Norovirus is highly communicable
Unlike other viruses, norovirus “takes very few viral particles to actually cause infection, even in the single digits. A single virus can cause infection,” as Roberts stated.
Even the virus cannot be killed by Purell and other alcohol-based sanitizers, as Roberts said.
He added, “It really requires specialized cleaners, such as bleach, to kill it,” and, “So it’s hard to find it once it sets up shop in a congregate setting,” as courant.com reported.
Symptoms of Norovirus
It is not like E. coli or salmonella, where diarrhea is the major symptom. However, in the case of Norovirus, vomiting is the main symptom, but diarrhea can also be caused along.
Roberts added it would start “within 12 to 48 hours after exposure, so usually it’s pretty quick after seeing somebody sick,” as courant.com reported.
He added, “If somebody tells me, Hey, you know, I had some egg salad at a picnic, (and) one day later, everybody’s vomiting, you know for sure that’s norovirus.”
How do you avoid getting ill from the virus?
According to Roberts, To keep from getting sick, “the key is you want to avoid them when they’re sick,” and “Wash your hands with soap and water and disinfect the surfaces after they use them. Try to use separate bathrooms if somebody’s infected in your house.”
One of the methods through which the virus is spread is through fecal contact and using unwashed food.
It is important to make sure that door knobs and countertops are properly cleaned with bleach and that the food to be eaten is well cooked, as highlighted by Roberts, as courant.com reported.
He said, “I would just emphasize food safety, so washing hands and then heating up the food in the microwave to the point of sizzling hot and making sure your food is cooked and maintained in a safe way and then avoiding others who are known to be sick with gastrointestinal diseases.
According to courant.com, people do not become contagious unless they begin vomiting, ” but they can shed virus for a couple of days after symptoms end.” as Robert mentioned.