Health officials have reported a rise in the number of people suffering from norovirus in the UK over the past few weeks.
Incidents of the highly infectious vomiting bug found in educational settings in England, such as nurseries and childcare facilities, is said to 48 per cent higher than usual, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said.
Reports of norovirus in English care homes has also risen from 24 incidents in the week commencing February 7 to 40 the following week.
The UKHSA said that it is likely that case numbers will increase over the coming weeks.
Norovirus causes vomiting and diarrhoea, with the infection usually passing within a couple of days.
Health officials say that it is easily transmitted through contact with infected individuals and contaminated surfaces.
Public Health Scotland (PHS) said that the provisional total of laboratory reports for norovirus in Scotland was 72 in the week ending February 27.
This number is likely to be lower than the rate of transmission in the community in Scotland, PHS have said.
Professor Sheer Gharbia, gastrointestinal pathogens and food safety directorate at UKHSA, said: “Norovirus, commonly known as the winter vomiting bug, has been at lower levels than normal throughout the pandemic but as people have begun to mix more, the numbers of outbreaks have started to increase again.”
Key symptoms to look out for
Norovirus is one of the most common stomach bugs in the UK, according to NHS Scotland.
It is more commonly known as the ‘winter vomiting bug’ as it is more common in the winter, but you can catch it at any time of year,
Scots should avoid going to their GP when they come down with a suspected case of norovirus due to its transmissibility.
The main symptoms of the virus can include suddenly feeling sick, projectile vomiting and watery diarrhoea.
Some people also experience slight fever, headaches, painful stomach cramps and aching limbs.
Symptoms generally appear one or two days after you become infected with the virus, and they usually last for up to two or three days.
If symptoms worsen you should consider taking paracetamol and get plenty of rest.
You should also drink more fluids than usual to replace the ones lost from vomitting and diarrhoea. This can be fruit juice, soup or water.
How to prevent norovirus
It is not always possible to avoid becoming infected with norovirus, but there are some measures you can take to avoid the illness from spreading.
These include:
- Staying off work for at least 48 hours after the norovirus symptoms have stopped
- Avoid visiting anyone in hospital during this time
- Wash hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water - especially after using the toilet and before prepare or handling food
- And be aware that alcohol based gels do not kill the virus
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