NHS UK Warns People To Stay At Home Amid Norovirus Outbreak

Earlier this month bug outbreak was reported in UK schools where parents claimed that children were vomiting. The reason for this outbreak was norovirus. This is a group of viruses that cause severe vomiting and diarrhea.

The National Health Service (NHS) has urged people who catch norovirus to stay home and recover as cases of the illness surged in December. Known as the "stomach flu," norovirus is highly contagious and can cause diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain. Although the symptoms are “very unpleasant,” healthcare professionals say the illness usually clears up within two days.

In a warning shared on X. previously Twitter, the NHS stated:

“Norovirus is a stomach bug that causes diarrhoea and vomiting. It can be very unpleasant, but usually goes away in about two days. If you catch it; stay home, rest, and have plenty of fluids.”

For most people, having norovirus is unpleasant, but mild and recovery could be made in 1 to 2 days. However, it could be more serious for babies, older people and anyone with any existing health condition.

Anyone can get the virus by accidentally getting particles of virus in your mouth and ingesting it. These particles are from faeces or vomit from infected people, or can be transmitted via contaminated food and water. It could also spread by touching unclean surfaces like door handles or cutlery.

It is also the No.1 cause of foodborne illness in the US and first occurred in Norwalk, Ohio, in a school in 1968. This is why the first strain is named after the location and is called the Norwalk virus.

There are also several types of strain, which can cause inflammation of your stomach. There are 10 groups and 48 types in the Caliciviridae family of virus, from where norovirus also belongs. The most common type is GII.4. It also affects around 685 million people each year, out of those, 200 million are children.

Recent NHS data reveals an 86% increase in norovirus cases in hospitals compared to the same week last year. On average, 756 patients were treated for norovirus in hospital beds daily during one week in December. Each year, norovirus is linked to approximately 12,000 hospital admissions in the UK, with vulnerable individuals, such as those with weakened immune systems, at greater risk of severe illness.

This surge in norovirus cases comes at a challenging time for the NHS. Officials reported record levels of flu, alongside rising cases of Covid-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), creating what has been dubbed a “quad-demic.” NHS data showed a 41% jump in flu-related hospitalizations within a week in early December, with figures more than four times higher than the same period last year.

Cases of norovirus typically rise in autumn and peak during winter. However, this year, the increase started earlier than usual, except for a brief dip during the October half-term school holidays. Officials suggest this highlights how schools contribute to the spread of the virus.

The UK Health Security Agency has warned that the true impact of norovirus is likely underreported because most people recover without seeking medical help. To limit the spread, people are advised to: