Do your part and stop norovirus from spreading

December 22, 2023

Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that can cause vomiting and diarrhoea. It can spread quickly in closed environments such as hospitals, and can lead to ward closures, putting added pressure on colleagues. It’s important to notify the infection control team if you see more diarrhoea or vomiting in patients than you might ordinarily expect for the type of patients in your area.  This is so that measures can be taken at the earliest point possible to prevent spread through the hospital. Norovirus is generally self-limiting, and most people will make a full recovery in 1-2 days. It’s important to keep hydrated – especially children and the elderly.

Colleagues in ward areas are advised to:

• Wash hands thoroughly using soap and water in between patients, after using the toilet, before preparing food and eating.
• Isolate patients as soon as possible following onset of symptoms and send a sample for norovirus testing.
• Inform the infection prevention and control team on ext. 5900.
• Clean shared patient equipment after every use.
• PPE should be used appropriately and changed between each patient.

Managers/colleagues are advised to:

• If a colleague develops symptoms, they should not attend work.
• Colleagues should not return to work until 48 hours after their last symptom.
• Report multiple cases of vomiting and/or diarrhoea in their team to infection control and occupational health by calling ext. 3306, option 4.