Diligent hand washing advised to help halt the spread of norovirus
Chris Whieldon
Designer and manufacturer of portable handwash units for medical facilities, catering, motor vehicles, care homes and home care, the beauty industry and schools and nurseries.
Increased pressure on hospitals as illness levels cause concern
The number of flu patients in England seems to be falling with figures up to 15th February being down for the sixth week in a row. Covid patients in hospital on the same date numbered 7,209 – a rise of 13% on the previous week. The level of risk posed by?‘significantly higher’?levels of norovirus have prompted a number of NHS warnings across the country, including a recent report on the?Independent website.
Norovirus is of course highly contagious and an outbreak is always deeply concerning in any hospital, care home or healthcare environment. Warnings have been issued because there are?“hundreds of hospital beds occupied by people with symptoms,”?according to the article’s author?Ian Jones.
“…norovirus-like symptoms”?resulted in 706 adult beds in hospitals being occupied by the middle of the month, which, although it represented a decrease of 5% over the previous week, also – and worryingly – represented a near fourfold increase on the same period last year. Norovirus is identified as?“the most common infectious cause”?of such symptoms, says the report.
NHS national medical director for England Professor Stephen Powis is quoted as saying that the latest statistics reveal that cases of norovirus are?“significantly higher than last year.”
The importance of soap and water hand washing
Jones quotes the?UK Health Security Agency‘s Dr Lesley Larkin who noted that older people – aged 65 upwards – as being in an age group that is being particularly affected by the illness. He warns anyone with symptoms to stay away from hospitals or care homes for at least 48 hours after symptoms have subsided.
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And in common with many medical experts, Dr Larkin emphasises the importance of effective hand hygiene when taking steps to contain the spread of the illness.
“Regular hand washing is really important to help stop the spread of this bug, but remember, alcohol gels do not kill off norovirus so soap and warm water is best.”