A stern ‘stay at home’ warning has been issued due to a surge in cases of a nasty bug causing severe diarrhoea and vomiting. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has reported a 31.6 per cent increase in norovirus cases between November 4 and 17, compared to the previous fortnight.
The agency’s report stated: “Norovirus activity is now increasing again across all age groups, with the biggest increase in adults, particularly adults aged 65 years and over.”
The total number of cases reported were nearly double the usual amount for this time of year, according to the UKHSA. The health watchdog noted that the rise in cases “has begun earlier than usual”.
The UKHSA is now urging anyone displaying symptoms of the highly contagious virus to ‘stay at home’, to prevent further spread. People are being advised to wash their hands with soap and warm water and use bleach-based products to clean surfaces to help halt the spread of infections.
However, they warned that hand sanitiser – a common germ-killing remedy – does not kill the virus, so it should not be relied upon solely. Norovirus outbreaks in hospitals have also been higher than normal, with a 19.4 per cent increase, reports the Mirror.
Amy Douglas, an epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: “We continue to see high levels of norovirus circulating in our communities. If you’ve caught the virus, take steps to avoid passing the infection on.”
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a stark warning for those suffering from diarrhoea or vomiting: “If you have diarrhoea or vomiting, do not return to work, school or nursery until 48 hours after your symptoms have stopped and don’t prepare food for others in that time either. If you are unwell, avoid visiting people in hospitals and care homes to prevent passing on the infection in these settings. Washing your hands with soap and warm water and using bleach-based products to clean surfaces will also help stop infections from spreading. Alcohol gels do not kill norovirus so don’t rely on these alone.”
The agency further detailed the symptoms of the illness, stating: “Nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea but can also include a high temperature, abdominal pain and aching limbs. Norovirus infections can cause dehydration, especially in vulnerable groups such as young children and older or immunocompromised people, so if you do get ill it is important to drink plenty of fluids during that time.”
It was also noted that the bug primarily spreads through close contact with those infected. For the 2024/2025 season thus far, 89 per cent of samples tested were identified as norovirus genogroup 2 (GII), with 66.3 per cent of these cases being genotype GII. 17. This particular strain has seen an uptick in other countries throughout 2024 and is under careful observation.
However, UKHSA reassured that “At present there is no indication it leads to more severe illness.” However, experts believe the actual number of cases could be significantly higher than reported. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has stated: “It has been estimated that for every case of norovirus reported to national surveillance in the UK there are about 288 in the community that go unreported, representing an annual burden of around 3 million case.”
The watchdog also suggested that the spike in cases might be attributed to a variety of reasons, including the increased use of PCR multiplex technology for testing, which can identify several gastrointestinal pathogens at once, and possible changes to the virus post-Covid-19 pandemic.
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