Norovirus cases have been reported across the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that of the tests that were conducted for norovirus, 28% of them have come back positive. According to reports, multiple norovirus outbreaks have been reported in Chicago.
The CDC has defined a norovirus outbreak as "two or more similar illnesses resulting from a common exposure that is either suspected or laboratory-confirmed to be caused by norovirus."
Norovirus is a highly contagious infection that causes severe vomiting and diarrhoea. The infection can cause gastroenteritis and the virus can spread through close contact with a person who has norovirus infection. Mayo Clinic says that most people recover completely without treatment. However, for some people especially young children, older adults and people with other medical conditions like vomiting and diarrhoea can be severely dehydrating and require medical attention.
You can get norovirus infection in different ways. If you're in close contact with someone who has the virus, it is likely that you will get the infection. Also, touching contaminated surfaces and then touching your mouth or nose can get you infected. Another way that you might get the infection is by eating or drinking contaminated foods and beverages.
Norovirus is highly contagious and therefore, it is important that you take the required preventive measures to keep yourself protected. A lot of people tend to use sanitizers to prevent norovirus. But is it really effective?
According to the CDC, "Hand sanitizer does not work well against norovirus. You can use hand sanitizers in addition to hand washing, but hand sanitizer is not a substitute for handwashing, which is best."
While hand sanitizers are beneficial in killing different pathogens and viruses, it might not be effective against norovirus. This is because it has a firm shell. Most viruses have a fat-based outer layer which can be broken by alcohol-based sanitizers. But, that is not the case with norovirus as their outer layer is made of protein and is resistant to alcohol-based sanitizers.
Other ways to prevent norovirus infection
Some of the ways to prevent norovirus infection are:
- Washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water
- Avoiding contaminated food and water
- Washing fruits and vegetables
- Cooking seafood properly
- Disinfecting contaminated surfaces.
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