By | May 14, 2025
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How To Avoid Getting Norovirus

Avoiding norovirus—often called the “stomach flu” (though it’s not related to influenza)—requires strict hygiene and food safety practices. Norovirus is highly contagious and spreads quickly, especially in crowded places like schools, cruise ships, restaurants, and nursing homes.

✅ How to Avoid Getting Norovirus

1. Wash Your Hands Thoroughly and Often

  • Most important defense!
  • Use soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds, especially:
    • After using the bathroom or changing diapers
    • Before eating or preparing food
    • After caring for someone who is sick

💡 Hand sanitizer is NOT enough—it doesn’t reliably kill norovirus.

2. Avoid Contaminated Food and Water

  • Norovirus often spreads through:
    • Raw or undercooked shellfish (especially oysters)
    • Contaminated produce
    • Food handled by infected people

🛑 Don’t eat food prepared by someone who has had diarrhea or vomiting in the last 2–3 days.

3. Wash Fruits and Vegetables Thoroughly

  • Rinse all produce under running water before eating—even if you plan to peel it.

4. Cook Shellfish Completely

  • Norovirus survives light steaming. Shellfish (especially oysters) must be cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C).

5. Disinfect Contaminated Surfaces

  • If someone vomits or has diarrhea:
    • Clean with bleach-based disinfectant (not just standard cleaners).
    • Let the disinfectant sit for at least 5–10 minutes.
    • Wash hands after cleanup.

🧽 Suggested bleach solution: 5–25 tablespoons of bleach per gallon of water (1,000–5,000 ppm concentration).

6. Avoid Sick People When Possible

  • Norovirus spreads even before symptoms start and for up to 2 days after symptoms stop.
  • Keep a safe distance and avoid sharing food, drinks, or utensils.

7. Stay Home if You’re Sick

  • If you have symptoms (vomiting, diarrhea, nausea), stay home for at least 48 hours after they resolve to avoid spreading the virus to others.

8. Be Extra Careful in High-Risk Settings

  • Cruise ships, daycares, and nursing homes are frequent outbreak locations.
  • Use extra caution with hygiene in these environments—especially handwashing before meals or after using public bathrooms.

⚠️ Norovirus Symptoms to Watch For:

  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Watery diarrhea
  • Stomach cramps
  • Fever or body aches (sometimes)

It usually starts 12–48 hours after exposure and lasts 1–3 days.

Summary:

To avoid norovirus, handwashing is king, followed by careful food handling and disinfection. The virus is extremely contagious, so even a tiny amount can infect you.