Over 1000 hospital beds in the UK have been closed down due to a lot of people becoming sick from the Norovirus, also known as the Winter Vomiting Bug.
NHS officials are asking that parents do not send affected children to school until it has been 48 hours since symptoms have cleared. This applies to parents too, the virus is spread extremely easy, so the 48 hour “rule” applies to all affected. The young, elderly, and already ill are the most vulnerable. As it stands right now, there are more than 100,000 hospital beds in England, and 1% have been affected by norovirus.
The Norovirus is highly contagious and many people become ill every year as a result.
According to the NHS, the main symptoms of the virus are:
- suddenly feeling sick
- projectile vomiting
- watery diarrhoea
“Some people also have a slight fever, headaches, painful stomach cramps and aching limbs. The symptoms appear one to two days after people become infected and typically last for up to two or three days.”
As stated earlier, many hospitals have closed temporarily as a result of the virus, and an NHS representative claims that the number of hospitals that suffer the same fate is “likely to rise over the coming weeks”.
“It’s a really unpleasant illness to catch but for the vast majority of people it will usually pass in a couple of days and self-treating at home is the best way to help yourself and avoid putting others at risk.
“Crucially, if you’re experiencing norovirus symptoms, it’s important that you don’t return to work or school for 48 hours after they clear – and avoid visiting elderly or ill friends and relatives – to avoid spreading it to other people.”
