Health chiefs issue norovirus warning as cases of the winter-vomiting bug shoot up

Outbreaks of norovirus have shot up by two-thirds in a week in care homes, health chiefs have warned.  

There were 40 outbreaks of the highly infectious virus, which causes sickness and diarrhoea, in care homes last week. For comparison, 24 were logged in the previous seven-day spell.

A rise in norovirus cases among care home residents is usually followed by a spike in hospital outbreaks, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned. 

Rates were also high in schools and nurseries, sparking an alert from officials. 

There were 135 norovirus outbreaks – defined as at least two cases – in schools and nurseries in the four weeks to February 20. This was 48 per cent more than normal.

Norovirus infections were suppressed during Covid as a result of measures brought in to fight the pandemic, resulting in reduced immunity against the bug.  

Health chiefs warned that, as a result, ‘it is possible that unusual or out of season increases could be seen in the coming months’.  

The UKHSA usually expects 91 norovirus outbreaks in schools in the month to February 20, based on the five-year average, but recorded 135.  

The UKHSA warned that while the number of outbreaks in care homes remain below pre-pandemic levels, ‘it is likely they will continue to increase in the coming weeks’. 

The main symptoms of the virus include sudden nausea, projectile vomiting and diarrhoea, as well as a high temperature, abdominal pain and aching limbs. 

The virus is spread by touching objects that are contaminated with the virus, known as fomites, and then touching your mouth.

It can get on surfaces through droplets.

The virus can also be passed on by eating food that has been prepared by an infected person. 

Health chiefs advise people to stay at home if they have symptoms and not return to work or send children to school or nursery until 48 hours after their symptoms have cleared. 

People are also told to avoid visiting older relatives if they are unwell, especially if they are in a care home or hospital. 

Cases of the virus are 49 per cent lower than expected levels at this time of year, with 198 laboratory-confirmed cases in the two weeks to February 14, compared to the five-year average of 387 cases over the same period.

But they are rising sharply. In the four weeks up to February 20, the number of confirmed norovirus cases in the community jumped 38 per cent, from 76 to 105.

During the same time frame, the number of stomach bug outbreaks reported to the UKHSA increased 62 per cent, from 61 to 99.

The majority of the outbreaks occurred in educational settings (48 per cent) or care homes (45 per cent). 

The UKHSA warned this is ‘notably different’ to pre-pandemic patterns, when just a fifth of outbreaks occurred in schools and nearly two-thirds were in care homes. 

Professor Saheer Gharbia, deputy director of the UKHSA’s gastrointestinal pathogens and food safety team, said norovirus cases were suppressed throughout the pandemic but have ‘started to increase again’ as people mix more with others. 

She said: ‘As with Covid and other infectious illnesses, hand washing is really important to help stop the spread of this bug, but remember, unlike for Covid, alcohol gels do not kill off norovirus so soap and water is best.’