A recent study has shown that stomach bugs – such as the norovirus – decreased by more than half during the first six months of the pandemic. The authors say it's thanks to a change in behaviour brought about by Covid-19.
The BMJ Open paper found that outbreaks of gastrointestinal infections reported to health agencies in England fell by 52 percent compared with the average for the same period. It concluded that if people continued these hygiene practices – such as hand washing and social distancing – we could potentially see “sustained reductions" in gastrointestinal illness.
Norovirus, also commonly known as the winter vomiting bug, can spread quickly - particularly among families. It is easily transmitted via contact with infected individuals or contaminated surfaces.
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The stomach bug causes sickness and diarrhoea and usually lasts for a couple of days. In March, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported that Norovirus outbreaks in England were increasing, especially in nurseries and care homes, as people began to mix more.
What are the symptoms of norovirus?
The main symptoms of norovirus include:
- feeling sick
- being sick
- having diarrhoea
Other signs to look out for include:
- a high temperature
- abdominal pain
- a headache
- aching arms and legs
Symptoms start suddenly within a day or two of being infected. Professor Saheer Gharbia, Gastrointestinal Pathogens and Food Safety Directorate, UKHSA, said: "Stay at home if you are experiencing norovirus symptoms and do not return to work or send children to school or nursery until 48 hours after symptoms have cleared.
"Please avoid visiting elderly relatives if you are unwell – particularly if they are in a care home or hospital. As with COVID-19 and other infectious illnesses, hand washing is really important to help stop the spread of this bug, but remember, unlike for COVID-19 alcohol gels do not kill off norovirus so soap and water is best."
How to treat norovirus
Norovirus can be treated at home. The most important thing, according to the NHS, is to rest and have lots of fluids to dodge dehydration. Symptoms should ease within two or three days.
You should drink plenty of water and squash, taking small sips if you feel nauseous. You should avoid fruit juice or fizzy drinks as these can make diarrhoea worse.
The NHS also advises eating when you feel you're able to; there's no need to avoid any specific foods. Babies on formula or solid foods can have small sips of water between feeds.
If you're breast of bottle feeding your baby and they're unwell, you can carry on feeding them and try giving them small feeds more often than usual.
Take paracetamol if you're experiencing discomfort but always check the leaflet before giving any to a child. Children under 12 shouldn't be given medicine to stop diarrhoea and those ages 16 or under shouldn't be given aspirin.
