Norovirus the Dreaded Winter Bug

Norovirus does the rounds every winter and is one of those illnesses that is very hard to avoid.

It can be very unpleasant if your little one is unlucky enough to pick this up.  Michele from Mini First Aid talks us through the symptoms, what to do if your child gets ill and when you may need to seek medical help. 

So what is Norovirus? 

Norovirus causes diarrhoea and vomiting and is one of the most common stomach bugs in the UK. It’s called the “winter vomiting bug” simply because it’s more common in winter, but you can catch it at any time of year.

Norovirus can be very, very unpleasant for both your child and for you having to deal with it but it usually only lasts a few days

 What are the symptoms?

Your child is likely to have norovirus if they:

·      Suddenly begin feeling very sick with no other likely cause

·      Projectile vomit

·      Have a lot of watery diarrhoea

As well as the above they may also have:

·      A mild fever

·      A headache

·      Painful stomach cramps

·      Aching limbs

The symptoms appear 1-2 days after infection, and usually last 2-3 days.

 What can I do to help my little one? 

Make sure they get LOTS of fluids

The most important thing is to help your child drink lots of fluids so they don’t get dehydrated due to all the fluid they are losing – clear fluids such as water or weak squash are best for older children. Do not give fruit juice or fizzy drinks as they can make symptoms worse.

Carry on breast or bottle feeding your baby – if using formula, don’t make it weaker than usual. If your baby is being sick, try small feeds more often than usual in between episodes of sickness.

Stay at home and get lots of rest

Norovirus spreads like wildfire, so you should treat it at home and don’t send your child back to nursery or school, or mix with other families, until 48 hours after all symptoms have stopped. Encourage your little one to sleep or rest as much as possible – norovirus really takes it out of you and your usual bouncy child is likely to be pretty lethargic, so lots of snuggling up with duvets and books is advised!

If they feel hungry . . .

Children’s resilience is amazing, and whilst for an adult with norovirus, eating is probably the last thing on our mind, children’s tummies can often fancy a little something! It’s ok for them to eat, so if they feel like it, try them with some plain foods at first, such as bread, pasta or rice to see how they get on.

Don’t worry if they don’t want to eat at all, just carry on making sure they have lots of fluids.

Can I give any medicines?

Children under 12 years of age should not be given medication to stop diarrhoea.

You can give your child a dose of paracetamol-based medicine to ease any fever, headache or painful limbs which can be caused by norovirus.

When may I need to seek help? 

You don’t normally need to see a doctor if your child has norovirus.

However, you’re advised to ring 111 if:

·      Your child stops breast or bottle feeding whilst they are ill

·      Your child keeps being sick, and cannot keep any fluids down

·      You notice signs of dehydration, such as fewer wet nappies, especially in a baby as they are at greater risk. In an older child, passing very small amounts of urine, or no urine at all means they are dehydrated

·      Your child has diarrhoea for more than 7 days or vomiting for more than 2 days

Is there any way I can stop my little one’s getting Norovirus?

This is one bug it is really difficult to avoid, especially if your child regularly mixes with lots of other children as norovirus loves close contact and spreads easily through infected particles in the air. We all know little kids LOVE to put things in their mouths, and the virus spreads very easily from an infected person to an object and then onwards.

We’ve all got very used to using hand sanitiser but interestingly, alcohol hand gel does not kill norovirus! So it’s back to good old thorough hand washing with lots of soap and water as your best line of defence.

 So, fingers crossed that you and the family can avoid norovirus, but hopefully, you now feel a bit more confident if it does strike! Michele @ Mini First Aid