HUFFPOST – Stuffy noses and bothersome coughs aren’t the only winter illness symptoms making the rounds right now.
Lots of people are also getting sick with norovirus, an unpleasant stomach bug. The highly contagious virus is on the rise in many states across the country.
What is norovirus? “It is our most common cause of vomiting and diarrhea, and actually food-borne illness in the United States,” said Dr. Brintha Vasagar, a family physician in Wisconsin.
Those are the two most common symptoms, but fever, body aches and stomachaches are sometimes reported, too.
“If someone who has norovirus doesn’t wash their hands well after using the bathroom and then uses a towel to dry their hands, that towel can then become a carrier. Then, if a non-infected person uses that towel to dry their hands, they could pick up the virus.”
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We typically experience higher rates of norovirus “from November to April, so we’re still pretty early in this season,” Vasagar added.
Norovirus cases are currently elevated, but a little lower than where they were by this time last year, said Dr. Camile Gooden, an internal medicine physician at NYU Langone Hospital—Suffolk in New York. However, “Recently, there has been a surge in norovirus … we’re seeing more positive testing,” Gooden added. This is due to a new strain of the virus.
The virus spreads easily and in different ways than other winter viruses. Here’s what to know:
Norovirus spreads through vomit and fecal particles.
While common winter illnesses such as the flu and COVID-19 spread through coughs and sneezes, norovirus spreads differently.
“Traditionally, it’s [spread through] what we call the fecal-oral route, so stool to mouth, but it’s a pretty darn resilient virus, so it’s not like you’re licking other people’s poop,” said Dr. Ross Newman …
