Norovirus Outbreak 2024: Symptoms, Prevention, and Tips to Stay Safe

What is Norovirus?

Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea. It is the leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States. You may know norovirus as “the stomach bug” or “the stomach flu.”

Norovirus Symptoms 2024

The most common symptoms of norovirus are diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, and nausea. Less common symptoms include fever, headaches, and body aches. Furthermore, vomiting and having diarrhea can lead to dehydration, too.

Symptoms usually last from one to three days.

How Does Norovirus Spread?

You can contract norovirus by being in close contact with someone who has it. This can happen if you eat food that’s been handled by them, take care of them, or share utensils. Norovirus can also spread by eating or drinking something that’s contaminated with the virus or by touching a surface contaminated with norovirus and then touching parts of your face.

Can Norovirus Be Treated?

Unlike the likes of influenza or COVID-19, there is no vaccine for norovirus. Likewise, there are no treatments for norovirus itself; only its symptoms. That said, there are ways to mitigate your chances of getting sick.

How to Protect Yourself from Norovirus

Wash your hands often

Norovirus can spread from touching your mouth with your hands after they’ve come in contact with the virus. While you might try to avoid getting sick by simply keeping your fingers out of your mouth, having an extra layer of protection by washing your hands will make staying healthy that much easier.

To thoroughly wash your hands, you’ll have to lather them with soap for 20 seconds before rinsing them with warm water. The CDC notes that hand sanitizer does not work well against norovirus.

Wear gloves

For even more hand protection, wear disposable gloves when you’re cleaning up after someone with norovirus. The best disposable gloves we’ve tested are the Venom Steel Nitrile Gloves thanks to their durability and comfortability.

Venom Steel Industrial Nitrile Gloves

You can wear gloves for even more protection.

Clean dishes

Likewise, another thing you can do if you’re caring for a loved one who has norovirus is to thoroughly clean their dishes with a quality dish soap such as our favorite, Dawn Ultra. It cleans tough stains right off with a fruity fragrance, to boot. You can eliminate the need to handle infected dishes by using disposable plates throughout the duration of someone’s norovirus sickness.

Dawn Ultra Dishwashing Liquid Dish Soap

Keep norovirus at bay with our favorite dish detergent.

Dixie Large Paper Plates

You won’t have to worry about washing dishes when you use disposable plates.

Disinfect high-contact surfaces

Another way to protect yourself from norovirus is to disinfect high-contact surfaces around your home before the virus has a chance to get on your hands. This includes TV remotes, doorknobs, and light switches, to name a few. You can do this with disinfectant wipes or spray, making sure to let the wiped area sit for at least 10 minutes to fully kill the virus.

Clorox Disinfecting Wipes Value Pack

Clean surfaces from norovirus with these Clorox wipes.

Wash fruits and vegetables

Norovirus can also spread by eating unwashed food, so another way to avoid getting sick is by thoroughly rinsing your produce. Using a colander will make this easier. Our favorite colander is this one sold by OXO because it stays in place, is easy to hold and, most importantly, it has good drainage.

OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel 5 qt./ 4.7 L Colander

Make sure your produce is washed before eating.

Drink lots of water

There are many reasons why drinking water is a good idea when dealing with norovirus. For one, drinking your own water will mitigate the risk of contracting the virus by drinking contaminated water. If you’re feeling under the weather, drinking water may help you figure out whether or not you have norovirus, as the norovirus and
dehydration share many symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, and stomach pain. Finally, if the worst should come to pass and you do get sick, staying hydrated will speed up your recovery and make it less excruciating.

Owala FreeSip Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle

Stay hydrated with our favorite water bottle.