How long does Norovirus last: Norovirus is a very contagious virus. It causes vomiting and diarrhea. Any person can be infected by it. It may be due to direct contact with an infected person or by consuming contaminated food or touching a contaminated surface and then put an unwashed hand into the mouth.
Inception of norovirus
However, first of all, norovirus had broken out as an epidemic in the united kingdom. Thereafter its virus spread out to many other countries of the world.
At that time the government of the United Kingdom felt that they have got relaxed from the corona pandemic and the government was planning to allow some relaxation to the general public. At the same time norovirus spread over there. Soon they noticed that the norovirus epidemic has broken out and reported 154 cases of norovirus up to the end of May 2021. The CDC listed the symptoms of norovirus as, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain.
It has been reported by PHE that in the five weeks since the end of May, 154 cases of norovirus were reported in England, which is a threefold increase during the previous five years.
According to the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, norovirus is a very contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea. The PHE calls it a “winter vomiting bug” According to CDC, people with norovirus illness can shed billions of virus particles. And only a few of them can make other people sick.
First sign/symptoms of norovirus
Common symptoms of norovirus infection are,
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- stomach pain
- nausea
Other symptoms seen
- low-grade fever
- Chills
- headache, and
- muscular pain
Symptoms may start after 1 to 2 days from the ingestion of the virus. Inflammation of the stomach and intestines occurs due to norovirus. You can call it acute gastroenteritis. The symptoms of norovirus start within 12 to 48 hours after the ingestion of the virus. however, most of the patients recover from the illness within 1 to 3 or four days.
Vomiting and diarrhea many times a day caused dehydration and the patient feels extremely ill .
Symptoms of dehydration are
- Decrease in urination.
- Mouth and throat become dry.
- the patient feels difficulty in standing up due to giddiness.
- In the case of dehydration in children, they usually remain sleepy or fussy.
How to detect norovirus by test?
TaqMan- based RT-qPCR assays detect the RNA of the virus. They can be used to test stool, vomit, food, water, and environmental specimens for norovirus. RT-qPCR assays are the preferred method to detect norovirus because they are very sensitive and specific. They can detect as few as 10 to 100 norovirus copies.
How norovirus infection spread out
Any person can get coronavirus by getting tiny particles of feces (poop) or vomit from an infected person. It happens if we,
- Eat norovirus infected food or drink liquids.
- Touch surface or object which is duly contaminated with norovirus and put your unwashed finger into the mouth.
- Direct contact some person who is already infected with norovirus, such as caring for them, use infected utensils, etc.
Norovirus spreads through contaminated food
Norovirus contaminates food items easily in many ways,
- An infected person touches food with his bare infected hands contains vomit particles on it.
- Food placed on a counter that has feces or vomit particles.
- The food, vegetables, and fruits are grown or harvested with contaminated water.
Norovirus spread through infected water
Drinking water can be infected in many ways such as,
- When a septic tank leaks into a well.
- When infected vomits in the water.
- when water is not properly treated.
Norovirus spread through sick person and infected surfaces
The surface can be infected due to many reasons such as,
- An infected person touched the surface with an infected hand.
- An infected person vomits or has diarrhea that splatters on the surfaces.
- Norovirus contaminated food, water, or objects placed on the surface.
Norovirus spread through air
- An infected person vomits or has diarrhea that splatters on the surfaces. Food water or objects that are infected with norovirus are placed on surfaces.Tiny particles of vomit spray through the air and land on surfaces or enter a person’s mouth, then they swallow it.
- Noravirus can live on surfaces and sicken others for up to two weeks.
Prevention
Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent norovirus. Only we can protect ourselves by washing our hands with soap and water and other preventive tips as under,
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, after using the toilet or changing diapers,
- Wash your hands thoroughly every time before eating, preparing, or handling food.
- Wash your hands thoroughly every time before giving or taking medicines.
You are required to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after recovery from norovirus infection. Norovirus can be found in your vomit or feces even after two weeks of recovery from illness.
You must use alcohol-based sanitizer when you are outside of your home.
Carry and prepare food carefully
- Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly and carefully before cook or before eating them. Norovirus survives in a temperature as high as 145*F.
- Do not use the foods or vegetables which are infected with norovirus.
- When you are infected with norovirus, do not cook food for others.
- Clean with disinfectant the infected surface thoroughly immediately after vomit or diarrhea. Clean kitchen with chlorine bleach solution. Put and leave bleach disinfectant on the infected area at least for five minutes then clean that area again with soap and hot water.
- Daily clean and sanitize kitchen surface, counter, almirah of the kitchen before cooking foods.
Treatment of norovirus
Any person infected with norovirus should drink plenty of water (ORS) to replace the fluid loss that occurs due to vomiting and diarrhea. It will help to prevent dehydration. Dehydration caused serious problems and required hospitalization for treatment for IV fluids.
Norovirus is a virus, not bacteria. So, in any way, antibiotic medicines will not help to treat norovirus infection because antibiotics medicines fight bacteria, not viruses.