Dr Mel: Coping with norovirus

This virulent winter vomiting disease can spread rapidly. Here’s how to protect yourself and others

This group of viruses causes over a million cases of winter vomiting disease each year, and spreads very easily, especially in ‘closed’ communities such as schools, residential homes, hospitals and cruise ships. It spreads via infected droplets that land on hands, surfaces, and in food and drink. Once transferred to the mouth, they produce symptoms within a day or two.

The symptoms

These may be mild or severe. You’ll feel unwell and nauseated, perhaps with a headache, muscle aches and high fever. The vomiting can be sudden, projectile and repeated, and you’ll develop watery diarrhoea. The symptoms usually last a day or two but, occasionally, full recovery takes up to five days. Although you’ll feel awful, norovirus isn’t usually serious if you’re normally fit, but the main risk is dehydration, especially if you can’t keep enough fluid down. This is particularly hazardous for babies and children, and people who are very elderly, pregnant, frail, who have other medical problems, including diabetes or bowel, kidney or immune system problems, or who take certain medicines.

Warning signs include dark, scanty urine, dry mouth and eyes, feeling thirsty, tired, light-headed or being drowsy or confused. Norovirus can also mimic other serious infections (sepsis, meningitis) and abdominal conditions, so also seek urgent medical advice if there’s blood in vomit or stools, severe tummy pain, neck stiffness, pain when looking at the light or a rash that doesn’t blanch when pressed with a glass.

How to cope

There’s no specific treatment, but you’ll need rest and plenty of fluids, like water or dilute squash. If you’re usually healthy, you should be able to manage on these for the first 24 hours or so, then add some light, starchy food, such as white boiled rice or bread, once you stop vomiting. Or you may prefer rehydration

sachets from your pharmacist or supermarket, which contain balanced amounts of salt and sugar. Don’t be tempted to make your own, as you may get the balance wrong (see nhs.uk for details).

Your body is trying to expel the norovirus, so avoid anti-vomiting and anti-diarrhoea drugs, as these just keep it inside for longer.

Seek urgent medical advice by telephone for people who are in at-risk groups (above), have unusual or very severe symptoms (see above) or have recently returned from travelling abroad.