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People (including doctors) really need to stop using the term "stomach flu", because it's misleading. A stomach virus is in no way related to influenza. Some people actually think a flu shot will protect them from a stomach virus.
This is quite true, I work in a clinic where we explain all day long that "stomach flu" is not influenza.
Patients get a flu shot and then complain that it didn't protect then from the "stomach flu."
I don't know any doctors that use the term "stomach flu." Hopefully they take the time to educate their patients.
It's worse than we think - from this article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norovirus I gather that a person can still be contagious for a couple of weeks after they think they have healed. Alcohol sprays and such can do some good, but soap and water are the best. Or benzethonium chloride sprays and wipes.
Something I had forgotten about -- researchers once tested the bottoms of bags (women's purses, suitcases, re-usable grocery bags, canvas shopping bags) and those bag bottoms were covered with nasty stuff - sometimes millions of germs. We don't think about it - but we set our purses and bags down on the trains, in the bathrooms, in stores, on the street corners, on grocery turnstiles... here's a story of Norovirus spreading that way. (Always good to throw your reusable grocery bags in the laundry from time to time!)
One woman in the research story said, "I don't worry about what's on my purse since i don't lick the bottom of my purse!" But hey, how many times do we walk in the house and set our purse on the kitchen counter? And if it was set down on the floor in a public restroom where someone was sick from norovirus even 24 hours earlier, we could be bringing that right into our homes. So we have to do more than just wash our hands. Gotta clean the bottom of the bags and purses we use. Lysol and Wet Ones are just a good idea.
Here's what it says: Benzethonium chloride exhibits a broad spectrum of microbiocidal activity against bacteria, fungi, mold and viruses. Independent testing shows that benzethonium chloride is highly effective against such pathogens as: MRSA, VISA, Salmonella, E. coli, C.diff, Hepatitis B and C, Herpes, HIV, RSV, and Norovirus.
Once on a plane I saw a woman change her baby's diaper on the drop down lunch tray. Ever since then, when I get on the plane the first thing i do is get out my "Wet Ones" and wipe down the tray, the top of the seatback pocket, the armrests and the back of the seat. So far so good! People used to chuckle when i did that. Now they ask if they can have one too.
= Ever since then, when I get on the plane the first thing i do is get out my "Wet Ones" and wipe down the tray, the top of the seatback pocket, the armrests and the back of the seat. So far so good! People used to chuckle when i did that. Now they ask if they can have one too.
I do that too! I fly a few times a year with my son and I'm terrified of catching something. I'm never without Wet Ones in my purse. I had norovirus two years ago for the first time in my life and it traumatized the heck out of me! The gastro symptoms weren't even the worst of it - the absolute scariest thing was that I felt like I've been rolled over with a bulldozer, my whole body hurt sooo much i couldn't sleep all night and I couldn't stand upright without blacking out That was seriously the scariest experience ever! Thankfully it was over in two days, but still wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy - especially scary if you have a young child to take care of! DS was 1 at the time and had I been alone, I actually would not have been able to even lift him up. Freaky.
Thanks for this info...This is a scary situation, makes me not want to ride the trains. Its one of the places where you are physically close to another person and contact is inevitable.
Aside from this subject, for some reason I cant write my own threads on here..Am I missing something?
I've had food poisoning, but that only lasted overnight. I can't imagine feeling like that for two or three days!
I'm going to try not to worry about this, because there's only so much control I have over my environment. We all need to venture out in public to do our grocery shopping, gas up the car, etc. I hope everyone stays healthy!
The one good thing about noro is it's not spread through air, unless you happen within aerosol distance of someone vomiting. So you just need to try and not 'eat' it - don't put your hands to your mouth, don't eat without washing your hands first...it's still hard not to slip up on that though - especially things like eating something at a party, or those food samples at the grocery store..
is this NV acccompanied by a fever even tho it's not the flu?
I'm positive I had it last week, although I wasnt officially diagnosed. It started out like the FLU, a little achey, very slight fever,and then nausea followed by rather severe diarrhea. It also really sapped me, hard to get out of bed for day or so. Oddly, I never vommited, but the nausea made me think I was from time to time, it seemed to come in waves, then not be so bad, then it would hit again, and so on. From what I've heard, it's hit other people worse. I did seem to have a low grade fever. The weird thing was, the way it started, I was sure it was the regular flu coming on, but then the nausea started and it kind of caught me off guard. I felt it coming on a week ago Friday, Saturday and Sunday were bad, Monday was a recovery day, felt pretty good by Tuesday.
I don't know why I clicked on this. I felt fine until I did. (sometimes I think it's all in the mind)
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That was seriously the scariest experience ever! Thankfully it was over in two days, but still wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy - especially scary if you have a young child to take care of! DS was 1 at the time and had I been alone, I actually would not have been able to even lift him up. Freaky.
I can't imagine feeling like that for two or three days!
