Norovirus
Norfolk hospital hit by norovirus outbreak
Adam Gretton
Friday, March 22, 2013
5:20 PM
Visiting has been restricted at Norfolk’s main hospital following an outbreak of norovirus.
Officials at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital today confirmed that they were taking extra precautions to protect patients and staff from the winter vomiting bug.
The hospital has restricted visiting at all inpatient wards after six wards were affected by norovirus.
Ngozi Elumogo, director of infection prevention and control, said: “Norovirus is a highly infectious virus which is circulating in the community at this time. Our inpatients are particularly vulnerable and to limit the spread within the hospital we are asking visitors to restrict their visiting to close family members and not to visit more than one ward or to bring in children aged under 12 years. Washing your hands with hot water and soap is also essential for all visitors.”
The hospital had been relatively unscathed by norovirus infections so far this winter.
The bug is the most common cause of vomiting and diarrhoea in the UK, affecting 600,000 to one million people every year. The symptoms are severe vomiting and or diarrhoea, but it is generally a short-lived illness from which the majority of people will recover in 12 to 60 hours without treatment other than resting and taking fluids to replace lost liquids.
The advice for people with symptoms is:
Stay away from work, school or college until you have been free of symptoms for at least 48 hours.
Wash your hands thoroughly and regularly at all times, but particularly after toilet visits and before eating.
Do not handle or prepare food for other people until you have been symptom free for a minimum period of 48 hours.
Do not visit friends or relatives in hospitals or residential care homes to avoid introducing the infection to environments where it could spread easily and put vulnerable people at greater risk.
Do not visit your GP surgery or local A&E unit.
Do not share towels with others.
If your symptoms persist or appear to be worsening, phone your family doctor or NHS Direct for advice. The NHS Direct number is 0845-4647.
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12 comments
Not nearly as strange as you Norton.
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LARSON.E. WHIPSNADE
Saturday, March 23, 2013
That LARSON.E. WHIPSNADE chap is losing me, I just can't make head nor tail of his comments, strange fellow.
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Joe Mullets Uncle
Saturday, March 23, 2013
My entire family had norovirus before Christmas. None of us had been anywhere near a hospital!! The first vicitm was a grandchild, who I am sure caught it from other children at school. You can encourage good hygeine but it can't be enforced when you have 30 odd kids in a class, many of whom will not understand the principal of spreading germs on their hands, no matter HOW often you tell them! We did the sensible thing, all stayed at home and anti-bac cleaned every possible surface, with plenty of hand washing for everyone. it happens, we deal with it. That's life. I've had two fairly long stays in hospital in the last few years and I never caught any bugs while I was there.
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Carol Bolton
Saturday, March 23, 2013
miss larson, wtf you on about ?? 'Beppe' nrg is what I am..nowt else. Person to person 70% dodgy NHS food 30%. May I suggest nice fireside reading for yourself today, I'm off to football chat, up the pub...
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nrg
Saturday, March 23, 2013
nrg ( aka John Norton and recently trying to pass himself off as " Keith Gerrard "...weird or what ? ). ** " food handlers is by far the biggest carriers of such lurgies. " ** .No...transmission of norovirus is mainly from person to person. And please no more sentimental rubbish about " good old fashioned matrons ". Old fashioned is correct though , most of them were still living in the medical dark ages , were opposed to any innovation or change and were mostly preoccupied attempting to intimidate and throw their weight around around ....which was usually considerable.
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LARSON.E. WHIPSNADE
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Norovirus GII.4 Sydney...Foreigners are also to blame, blasted Aussies and their dirty ways.
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nrg
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Norovirus GII.4 Sydney, NHS prevention.Getting norovirus cannot always be avoided, but good hygiene can help to limit the virus spreading. Tips to help stop the virus spreading: Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water, particularly after using the toilet and before preparing food. Do not share towels and flannels. Disinfect any surfaces or objects that could be contaminated with the virus. It is best to use a bleach-based household cleaner. Wash any clothing or bedding that could have become contaminated with the virus. Wash the items separately and on a hot wash to ensure that the virus is killed. Flush away any infected faeces or vomit in the toilet and clean the surrounding toilet area. Avoid eating raw, unwashed produce and only eat oysters from a reliable source. Oysters have been known to carry the norovirus
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nrg
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Don't be silly miss larson, food handlers is by far the biggest carriers of such lurgies. The low paid workers can't afford sickies to take time off when struck down with the bug...unlike all those others who work in NHS, who are paid full pay from day one...Privatisation prolongs winter vomiting..simples... 'Beppe' nrg
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nrg
Saturday, March 23, 2013
I know this is a nasty bug and you can contract it anywhere, however, I think its time the hospitals went right back to basics, have "proper" inhouse cleaners, nurses in "proper" uniforms which have to be removed before leaving the hospital, good old fashioned matrons who run a tight ship, and definately only two visitors per patient, no-one to sit on the beds, limited visiting times which must be better for the patients anyway, as they must get worn out constantly having visitors over long periods, no patients to wander around the corridors, or going into the public cafe's or outside. I was visiting someone not so long ago and outside the doors stood staff and operating staff outside in their theatre gowns along with patients, one of which was being sick....lovely. There is nothing hygenic in hospitals anymore, I dread having go to any of them for fear of what I might catch!
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Lynda
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Norovirus is not spread in food or by NHS food handlers. It is brought in by visitors ( of which far too many are allowed ) , many of whom don't wash their hands before entry and some of which clearly have not seen a bar of soap all week.
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LARSON.E. WHIPSNADE
Saturday, March 23, 2013
The basic hygiene cleansing practice is sadly missing by the NHS food handlers. Paying peanuts to low level workers with no sick pay rates, is probably why this bug continues to plague the N&N.
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nrg
Friday, March 22, 2013
This virus hasn`t just happened. I contracted it a month ago 2 days after visiting the NNUH for a routine blood test.
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Anthony Stead
Friday, March 22, 2013