Norovirus

Norovirus: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment
Introduction
When wintertime comes, most people are excited to get out, do some holiday shopping, visit relatives, and enjoy the holidays. However, there is always the risk at this time of year of catching a bug—aka a virus. The most common fear is of catching the flu virus, which is why flu vaccines are advertised around every corner at this time. Yet, there is another virus that people do not consider so much—and, unfortunately, it is related to food—which is especially worrisome, given that Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s all fall during the same season when the norovirus is most likely to strike. In fact, given that these social holidays are all packed tight into the winter season festivities, that is one reason the norovirus is so likely to hit so many at this time.
The norovirus is known as the winter vomiting bug or the stomach flu (though there is no such thing as a flu that lives in the stomach as flu is a respiratory virus). In short, it is a stomach virus. It has many varieties but is typically characterized by vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhea, and usually spreads through unsanitary conditions during food preparation via the fecal-oral route—i.e., people do not wash their hands after using the restroom and then prepare food which ends up being consumed by an unwitting victim. The norovirus can also be spread via contaminated water and even from person-to-person contact or through the air (after vomiting) or by contacting a surface on which the virus is exposed (Brunette).
For that reason, it is very important that food preparers always take precautions to sanitize and clean properly before getting ready for fixing a meal: the health of many people could be at stake, as Blake notes: food safety is just as important as creating a healthy food diet. Therefore, during the holidays especially, people should be more mindful of how their food is prepared and whether proper hygiene was used in the process. If not, one could risk being infected by the norovirus.
It commonly leads to gastroenteritis, and signs of infection usually occur within a day or two of exposure to the virus. The virus can usually be defeated by the body’s defense system in a couple days, though an individual must be careful not to become dehydrated in the meantime and should try to drink fluids if able (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). This paper will describe the symptoms, cause and treatment for norovirus, and what precautions can be taken to prevent spreading it.
Symptoms
The most common way in which a norovirus manifests itself is through a sudden change in one’s state. One can go from feeling fine to being doubled over quite quickly. For children, the symptoms usually include nausea or upset stomach. For adults, the symptoms usually include diarrhea and watery stool. People may also feel dizzy or light-hearted from the attack on the system.
These symptoms are not very dangerous in and of themselves; however, because so much fluid can be lost through diarrhea or vomiting, the individual who has contracted a norovirus may need to replenish fluids in the body by drinking water or something with electrolytes to maintain a proper balance of nutrients and minerals in the body. This may be difficult for some, especially on an upset stomach; so in cases where the child or adult is struggling to keep anything down, ice chips may be the best remedy for keeping the body from becoming too dehydrated. A carbonated beverage such as a Coke of 7-Up is often preferred by some patients suffering from an upset stomach related to contracting the norovirus.
Symptoms tend to disappear after a day or two because this is not a very long-lasting virus and the body is usually able to kill it within 48 hours. That is why it is mainly known as a mere bug—it is not something that will typically lead to life-threatening situations. However, one should monitor a person who is sick with vomiting or diarrhea to make sure the person is able to get some fluids in after a short period of time so that dehydration does not set in and make the situation worse (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
To monitor for dehydration, one should pay attention to signs and symptoms of dehydration. These include:
· decrease in urination
· dry mouth and throat
· feeling dizzy when standing up (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Children are likely to be fussy or to have difficulty sleeping if they are suffering from dehydration as a result of the norovirus infection. They may also cry with fewer or no tears, which indicates that it is time to hydrate them with some fluids, if possible. If nothing is staying down, the person should call the doctor to check to see if it is something else, especially if conditions do not improve after two to three days (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
Cause
The cause of infection by the norovirus is typically by consuming contaminated food or drinks. For example, one might eat fruit or vegetables that have been contaminated by the norovirus. This virus loves to frequent close quarters, such as day care centers and restaurants. After a person contracts the virus, it can spread from person to person through contact—whether one is sharing a utensil with someone who has it or just shaking hands. The norovirus can live on a countertop for up to two weeks and can stay on contaminated foods even in freezing temperatures. One can also continue to retain the virus for up to 8 weeks, though it is not very likely to spread after three days, as it will only exist in the system at a minute amount and not enough to make one contagious.
The norovirus can spread through the air after one vomits and live on surfaces. Feces also can contain the virus, so if one is changing the diapers of a child who is infected, the virus can spread through coming into contact with the norovirus in the feces. Even if one has not shown any symptoms yet, one may still be infected with the virus, which makes it easier for the virus to spread (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). An individual spreads particles through the air every time he or she vomits or uses the restroom.
The norovirus is goes to the small intestine where it starts to replicate. After one or two days, it becomes obvious that one is infected. The infection is self-limiting, however, and the immune system of a healthy person will be sufficient to attack and kill the virus. Anyone who works in the food industry, however, should wait at least three days before going back to work to handle food. By handling food that other people will consume before the virus has been killed in one’s system, one increases the risk of spreading the disease still further.
Treatment
Treatment for the norovirus includes drinking water to keep from getting dehydrated and resting. There is no medical treatment such as an antibiotic (since it is a virus) or vaccine that has been developed to cure the norovirus. Since it is such a short-lived virus and not one that is life-threatening, it is not a major concern for health care providers. The best treatment is simply to weather the storm for a day or two, stay hydrated, and stay in bed. Rest for up to three days should be the best medicine and staying indoors and comfortable is recommended. The immune system will help, but as the virus is self-limiting it only has a short shelf-life in terms of making a person sick to the stomach, so there is only so much that will happen before the virus starts to die off on its own. By the time a person realizes he is sick with the virus, it will already be at its peak and the day or two of illness that follows will be the time in which the virus is ceasing its growth in the body. However, the person will be highly contagious during this period, so the individual should not be in contact with others. That alone is one of the best ways to treat the virus and keep it from spreading. Also, the person should not be handling foods, and should be mindful of cleaning up countertops and washing hands carefully.
For prevention, hygiene is the best solution. However, one should be aware that quick-fix solutions such as hand sanitizers are ineffective, and one must thoroughly wash one’s hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. The best prevention, however, is to avoid going out and being around others while infected. If one is not infected and simply wants to engage in best practices, a few of the following tips are recommended:
· Always cook raw shellfish to a temperature of 140 degrees before consuming.
· Always rinse fruits and vegetables before consuming.
· Always clean and sanitize surfaces where food is prepared so that the norovirus can live there.
· Wear gloves when handling food if you are in the food services industry. Disposable gloves were made for this purpose.
· Always wash your hands after handling money if working in food services and working the cash register while also making sandwiches for customers, and so on (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
Conclusion
The norovirus is commonly associated with food poisoning because it is a virus that can live on food and be spread through food. Hygiene is very important, especially for cooks and waiters. Keeping hands washed prevents the virus from spreading from person to person and place to place. Sanitary protocols should also be followed in restaurants and in day care centers—anywhere where a lot of people come together and tend to be packed in close quarters. The norovirus is particularly bothersome during the winter holiday season because so much activity among people takes place at this time of the year: people are busy seeing one another; they are out more in restaurants and doing shopping, handling items and touching things and sharing instruments; they are doing more food preparing, and so on—so the risk of passing on the norovirus is elevated at this time of the year, which is why it is sometimes called the winter bug.
There is no way to treat the norovirus with a vaccine, so one must simply monitor for dehydration and try to get rest. One must be careful to always be healthy so that the immune system can stay strong when it is attacked. When one has a weakened immune system, the body can be negatively impacted by other factors that stem from infection. Infection weakens the body’s system as it goes into protection mode—but if the body’s immune system is already in a weakened state, it will not have enough resources to combat other issues that arise and could lead to worse issues. This is why Blake explains it is important to lead a healthy lifestyle by eating good foods that are right for you. The better one’s diet overall, the more healthy one is going to be and the better prepared one will be to face the norovirus if and when it is caught. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as the saying goes, so the best medicine for treating the norovirus is to practice good hygiene and practice good manners when sick: stay at home and recover fully before going back to work or school.
Works Cited
Blake, Joan Salge. Nutrition & You. Pearson, 2016.
Brunette, Gary W. CDC Yellow Book 2018: Health Information for International Travel. Oxford University Press, 2017.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “The Symptoms of Norovirus.” CDC, 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/about/symptoms.html