More than a million people struck down by norovirus{uk}

[xchrom]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9769268/More-than-a-million-people-struck-down-by-norovirus.html


Superbug: the spread of norovirus has forced dozens of hospital wards to close, and many schoolchildren have been struck down by the vomiting bug Photo: Rex Features

Levels of infection of the winter vomiting bug, which usually peak in January, are now running at almost twice those of the same time last year.

Calculations are that 1.018million people have been hit with the virus this season, 83 per cent higher than the same period in 2011.

Laboratory tests by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) have confirmed 3,538 cases of norovirus this season, up from 3,046 cases last week.

Officials work on a ratio of one laboratory case probably means there are a further 288 cases among people who do not seek medical treatment and are not tested.

[catbyte]

1. I guess the cruise ship Queen Mary 2 has been struck with it too, sickening at least

200 people. Just one of the many reasons I will never, ever set foot on a cruise ship.

[SheilaT]

2. Hmmm. I wonder if this is what

we -- my husband, two young sons, and I -- got some years back. It went through us sequentially, didn't last too long, but, boy, we we all very sick for a couple of days. As sick as we were, it wasn't bad enough to go to a doctor, and reading up on how it spreads, staying home probably helped keep lots of others from getting sick.

[Freddie]

3. Probably, Norovirus is the common "stomach virus"

Spread by close contact or improper food handling. Often in close quarters like day cares and nursing homes. Was a recent epidemic at my mom's assisted living place and then I got it from her. "Disgusting symptoms" for only a few hours but felt crappy in general for about 3 days.

[SheilaT]

5. Yeah, that's pretty much what happened to us.

My husband brought it home, so who knows where he got it.

I just wonder if getting it conveys and sort of immunity.

[Jenoch]

8. This occurred at my mother's

nursing home almost five years ago. She got sick, as did my father and myself. We survived. She did not. Her immune system was weak and the infection spread to her kidneys. Ironically, her older sister died of a kidney infection at age 18 in 1945, just six weeks after graduating as the valedictorian of her high school class.

[hedgehog]

4. I wonder how many people have this confused with influenza.

Norovirus is bad, but generally limited. Influenza really hangs on for weeks.

[Quantess]

6. Vinterkräksjukdom

The best prevention is washing your hands. It is one of those bathroom germs -to- mouth / food illnesses. You know, like people who don't wash their hands after they use the toilet, then spread their germs onto peoples food, or by people getting the germs on their hands and then touching their mouths. Kids get it a lot.

[hmherbs11]

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