Dear Doctors: I got sick with a stomach bug, and it was so bad that my girlfriend insisted on me going to our local urgent care. They said I had norovirus. It lasted for three days, and it was miserable.
Where does norovirus come from, and how can you avoid getting it? Dear Reader: Being sick with any kind of stomach bug is deeply unpleasant. That said, norovirus is a notoriously nasty one. The symptoms come on suddenly, are typically quite severe and can cause the person to become dehydrated and weakened.
This is particularly true in vulnerable populations, such as young children, older adults and people already weakened by chronic illness, surgery or medical treatments. Norovirus is highly contagious, easily transmissible and very difficult to eradicate. That means outbreaks are often seen in communal settings such as schools, restaurants, cruise ships, hospitals and nursing homes.
There is also evidence that the virus can be transmitted through saliva. You can become infected if you ingest as few as 10 viral particles. This can occur through contact with food, beverages, infected eating or cooking utensils, any surfaces an infected person touched, and with the infected person themselves. Anyone who is sickened by norovirus who fails to thoroughly wash their hands after using the bathroom can easily and widely transmit the illness.
The most common symptoms of illness include nausea, stomach cramps and severe and repeated vomiting and diarrhea. It is possible , but less common, for norovirus to cause a low-grade fever, chills, headache and body aches. Symptoms can begin from 12 hours to two days after initial contact with the virus.
