According to the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of people in the US who have the norovirus, which is also known as the stomach flu or stomach bug, is on the rise. In January, the number of people who tested positive for the contagious illness reached a high of 16%.
The healthcare agency says that infection rates haven’t been this high since last spring. This is true all over the US.
The illness is easily spread by being close to other people, touching surfaces, or eating or drinking something that has been contaminated. People with the disease can shed billions of particles, but it only takes a few particles to make someone sick.
Even though getting sick can make you immune, it’s not clear how long that immunity lasts, so you could get sick again.
The CDC said that the virus causes inflammation in the intestines, which can lead to nausea, diarrhea, and stomach pain. There is no way to treat the illness, but the symptoms are usually mild and go away after a few days. When you have an infection, doctors say you should drink a lot of fluids.
Health experts say that washing your hands often with warm water and soap is one of the best ways to avoid getting norovirus. Hand sanitizer isn’t as good at getting rid of the virus as washing your hands.
There are outbreaks in many parts of the country, especially in schools. Recent outbreaks have been reported in and near Washington, DC, Detroit, and Las Vegas, among other places.
Even though the number of norovirus infections is going up across the country, the CDC says the rate of spread is about the same as it was before the Covid-19 pandemic. This is because restrictions on activities related to that crisis have continued to be lifted. Most years, the most people get sick with norovirus between November and April.
