Practical Tips for Dodging a Norovirus Outbreak

You know the feeling: an unsettling premonition that gastrointestinal distress is imminent. In any group setting, this feeling can trigger panic, as gastrointestinal viruses spread quickly and easily from person to person. One only needs to search for the words ‘outbreak’ and ‘cruise ship’ to find examples of one of the most notorious: norovirus.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), norovirus outbreaks can happen at any time, but they are most common from November to April. This is likely because colder weather drives people indoors and into close proximity.

With symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and nausea, norovirus can often be confused for other gastrointestinal viruses, according to Ashley Drews, MD, system epidemiologist and medical director of infection prevention and control at Houston Methodist.

“Based on symptoms, you can’t say for sure that an illness is norovirus versus any of the other vomiting viruses like rotavirus,” Drews told Verywell. “There is a stool test that will identify it, but it’s not recommended for immunocompetent people because it does get better with time, fluids, and supportive care.”

How Does an Outbreak Happen?

Norovirus may resolve on its own, but not before doing its best to proliferate. Shirin Mazumder, MD, an infectious diseases physician at Methodist le Bonheur Healthcare in Memphis, Tennesee, says that the virus spreads quickly and targets those with the lowest resistance.

“Someone who is sick with norovirus can shed billions of microscopic particles, but it only takes a few particles to transmit the infection,” she told Verywell. “Older adults, young children, and the immunocompromised are at the highest risk for dehydration.”

Drews said that the virus spreads via the fecal-oral route, meaning it’s transmittable through poop as well as through airborne droplets of vomit. Since these droplets can have a wide reach, surfaces around the infected person may spread the virus as well. Drews said that the virus is very stable and can live in an environment for quite a while. Other transmission routes include contaminated food, according to the CDC.

How Do I Know If There’s a Norovirus Outbreak in My Area?

Although local public health departments may not be able to track norovirus effectively, the CDC tracks outbreaks related to consumables and publicizes them on its norovirus page.

How to Protect Against Yourself From Norovirus

Beyond avoiding contaminated foods, a simple preventative action continues to have an outsized result: hand washing.

Since norovirus so often spreads because of surface contact, proper hand washing is the best way to defend yourself from an outbreak, agree Drews and Mazumder.

Drews said that soap and water are the best ways to cleanse your hands. Norovirus is not affected by alcohol, so hand sanitizer is ineffective. She warns that hand washing with soap and hot water is especially important after changing diapers or cleaning an area where someone who is infected has been vomiting or using the bathroom.

Outside of hand washing, Mazumder encourages isolation.

“If you think you have norovirus, it is best to isolate as soon as possible,” Mazumder said. “Try to use a separate toilet if possible. Most people are the most contagious when they are actively having symptoms, and up to two weeks after they recover.”

Drews and Mazumder also advise against sharing food or utensils and disinfecting any common surfaces that may have been compromised with the virus. Since symptoms start 12–48 hours after exposure, a drop off in symptoms may not mean that others in a group are out of the woods.

What This Means For You

Norovirus is just one of many gastrointestinal viruses that can spread quickly among groups. To guard against it, practice good hand hygiene, use soap and water, and isolate if you start experiencing symptoms. If you are infected, do your best to remain hydrated and isolate to control the spread of the virus to others.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Norovirus burden and trends.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prevent norovirus.

By Rachel Murphy
Murphy is a Kansas City-based journalist with more than a decade of health writing experience.

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