March 20, 2024
3 min read
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Key takeaways:
- According to an expert, around 10% of the U.S. population gets sick from the norovirus every year.
- There are no vaccines available, but supportive care can be helpful.
Cases of norovirus have risen across the United States, although symptom-based care and proper hygiene can help treat and prevent the spread of the disease, an expert said.
CDC data showed that in the week ending on March 9, over 12% of norovirus tests nationally came back positive, up from around 11% in early February but down from around 14% in the week ending on March 2.
The CDC noted that spikes in cases are typical in the early spring, while current cases are below what they were during March 2023, when positive test rates ranged between 15% to 16%.
According to the agency, norovirus causes an average of 900 deaths every year, along with 109,000 hospitalizations and 465,000 ED visits.
Speaking to Healio, Syra Madad, DHSc, MSc, MCP, senior director of the system-wide Special Pathogens Program at NYC Health + Hospitals, discussed the symptoms of norovirus, treatment options, trends in cases and more.
Healio: What are symptoms of the norovirus?
Madad: It’s a very notorious virus. A lot of people like to refer to it as the stomach bug. It primarily causes nonbloody diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and stomach pain. Some people can also experience fever, headache and body aches. It’s just a bad bug to experience, but luckily it doesn’t last very long; it’s short in duration. Once a person is exposed, they develop symptoms between 12 to 48 hours, and they can be sick anywhere from 1 to 3 days. Most people luckily don’t require any treatment, but those who are in the higher risk category — older adults, people with weakened immune systems and young children — are at higher risk for severe dehydration or hospitalization.
Healio: What treatments are available?
Madad: There’s no vaccine, and there are no treatment options. What’s available is supportive care, [like] making sure that you’re staying hydrated and that you’re getting your proper nutrients. There are a couple vaccines in the pipeline, but there is nothing that is specifically available medication-wise. There are medications you can take to relieve your symptoms and prevent dehydration, [like] oral rehydration solution. You can take fever-reducing medication if you have a fever [and other medications] that will make you feel better and that are more symptom-based approaches.
Healio: What are some norovirus trends that you’re seeing right now?
Madad: Right now, it’s surging, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere. This is not unusual; you typically see a seasonal pattern with the norovirus where you start to see it peak between January to March time frame. I think the fact that because norovirus is highly infectious, it’s important that if you are sick, you remain home and that you aren’t doing activities that may infect others. For example, don’t prepare or handle food. Because this virus is pretty sturdy on surfaces — clothing or linen that have vomit or stool in particular — you want to put clothes in a hot-wash cycle and use your higher temperature dryer setting.
Typically, we can expect about 10% of the U.S. population to get sick from norovirus every year, but there are things we can do to help not only reduce your risk of getting it but prevent you from spreading it to others.
Healio: Anything else primary care providers should be aware of about the norovirus?
Madad: It’s not a new virus, and it’s a virus that also mutates often…. Knowing that it mutates quite frequently, the norovirus may certainly be the differential diagnosis for patients presenting with gastroenteritis, especially during a seasonal time period.
I think it’s important to go back to the basics and make sure that people understand that there are things you can do to prevent getting the norovirus, things that are simple enough that we use them every day from regular personal hygiene to respiratory etiquette, cleaning and disinfecting and making sure you’re not handling food products if infected.
I think it is important to mention that one of the top settings where you see this virus spreading is within health care facilities, and within health care facilities it’s within long-term care facilities. So, it’s important we have good protocols and processes to prevent norovirus transmission happening in these locations, especially since you’re dealing with vulnerable populations like the elderly.
References:
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