Major supermarkets throughout the UK see an obscene amount of people come through their doors and of course, these people are using the shopping trollies.
The Swansea Bay University Health Board has suggested that people should be washing their hands before touching the shopping trollies and then after as well in a bid to help stop the spread of norovirus.
The Health board have said.
“Supermarket shopping trolley handles can be handled by hundreds of people every day, so please wash your hands thoroughly in soap and water when you get home, to reduce your risk of catching an infection like norovirus, and also colds or flu.”
Shopping trollies are not the only thing that you need to watch out for but also TV remotes, mobile telephones, light switches, door handles and also to not share towels with people in your household.
Norovirus Symptoms
Norovirus is also called the “winter vomiting bug”, and the NHS say that is is one of the most common stomach bugs in the UK. Despite Norovirus nickname, it can be caught any time of the year, so don’t let that fool you.
Symptoms of the norovirus include:
- Watery diarrhoea
- Aching limbs
- Projectile vomiting
- Stomach cramps
- Fever
- Headaches
- Suddenly feeling sick
Norovirus symptoms will show one or two days after you have become infected and typically last for two or three days.
Treating norovirus
Norovirus is a viral infection, so there is no treatment for it, so you have to let it pass and wait it out. Antibiotics will not work, and it is best you keep away from the doctors, so you don’t spread it further.
Unfortunately, there is no specific treatment for the bug – because it’s a viral infection, antibiotics won’t work.
It is recommended that the best thing you can do to manage the symptoms is to stay hydrated, so you keep replacing the fluids you are losing through diarrhoea and vomiting.
Bupa suggests that you do not take medicines to stop the diarrhoea as these medicines can make you iller. In fact, taking diarrhoea control tablets is not advisable as it is an excellent idea to let your body flush itself out.
Norovirus is highly contagious, so please stay at home and keep away from as many people as you can.
How to prevent norovirus
You can do things to help avoid catching norovirus, and the best way to do this is to keep washing your hands properly with soap and water, and according to experts, alcohol-based hand gels do not kill norovirus.
using disinfectants on work surfaces and other surfaces like door handles and light switches with hot water is an excellent way to to help prevent norovirus.
Also washing clothes at 60 degrees or more is very important in controlling the spread of norovirus.
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