District affected by winter vomiting bugs and flu
Public Health England (PHE) is reminding people across the Bradford district to take precautions against spreading nororvirus as cases of the virus begin to increase in the community.
Hands are the biggest spreaders of germs, and studies show that proper hand-washing can lower the spread of illnesses such as sickness, diarrhoea and colds – as well as norovirus (winter vomiting bug) which can flare at this time of year.
Washing hands frequently during the day, with hot water and soap can reduce these infections from being passed around. Don’t rely on alcohol hand gels alone.
It is particularly important to wash your hands before eating or handling food and after every visit to the loo.
The symptoms of norovirus include vomiting and diarrhoea but can also include a high temperature, headaches and painful stomach cramps.
If you have vomiting and diarrhoea symptoms:
- drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration
- take age-appropriate paracetamol to reduce any fever or aches and pains or consult a pharmacist for advice
- get plenty of rest
- Stay away from work and keep children away from school until at least 48 hours after the symptoms have stopped
- Don’t visit vulnerable family or friends, especially people in hospitals or care homes, to reduce the risk of passing the virus on
- Don’t visit your GP or a hospital A&E department, to avoid passing the virus on to others
- if you or your child has symptoms of severe dehydration or bloody diarrhoea, or you have a serious underlying health condition, telephone your GP or NHS 111 to get medical advice
If you are living in the same household as someone who has symptoms:
- be careful when clearing up after someone who has been ill – wash your hands frequently
- disinfect any surfaces or objects that could be contaminated with a household cleaning product
- wash any items of clothing, bedding, or towels that could have been contaminated on a separate hot wash, to ensure the virus is killed
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