Don't rely on alcohol gels to stop the winter vomiting bug

To date, some 35 hospitals in England and Wales have been affected by norovirus, also known as the winter vomiting bug, forcing them to close wards.

In a normal year, it is estimated that up to a million people in the UK will be infected by the virus, which causes nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhoea.

Although people can get infected at any time of the year, most cases occur between October and April, as more time is spent indoors, which allows the virus to spread easily.

Overall, 1,607 confirmed cases of norovirus have been reported in England since July, an increase of 19 per cent compared with the previous year, figures from the Health Protection Agency show.

The number of new cases reported in the past three weeks is slightly below the average expected at this time of year, but outbreaks can start and spread very quickly as the virus is highly infectious.

For most people, norovirus is an unpleasant illness which lasts for a few days, but the very young and the elderly are at greater risk of dehydration and serious illness.

There is no treatment for norovirus other than to drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration, and letting the illness run its course.

Vomiting and diarrhoea is the last thing you want during your Christmas break, so what can you do to prevent getting infected?

Virus spread

Noroviruses easily spread from person to person by direct contact. You can also become infected by eating or drinking contaminated food or water, or by touching surfaces or objects contaminated with the virus.

Unlike many other viruses which quickly degrade outside the body, noroviruses can survive for several days and remain infectious in an outdoor environment.

Prevention

Alcohol hand gels containing 60-90 per cent alcohol are effective against a wide variety of germs including salmonella, influenza and E.coli, but are of little use when it comes to noroviruses.

A study which found that bleach based disinfectants reduced the amount of norovirus on a stainless steel surface by 1,000 times also found that alcohol based products were found to 100 times less effective against the virus.

Good hygiene and regular hand washing are the best way to prevent infection and stop the spread of the virus:

• Regularly wash your hands with soap and water to physically remove the virus
• Wash your hands before and after eating, before preparing food and after using the toilet
• Always dry hands thoroughly as wet hands transmit germs more easily
• Avoid sharing towels with someone who is infected with the virus
• Clean kitchen surfaces regularly
• Stay away from work, schools and hospitals until symptom free for at least 48 hours

Soaps containing antimicrobial compounds have not been shown to be any more effective than plain soap and water.

This article was published on Tue 20 December 2011