Fever

Fever is a reaction of the immune system to norovirus infection. A fever is defined as a temperature of 37°C or higher. It is a general symptom which is very unspecific and only indicates that the body is fighting against inflammatory processes in the body.

As a reaction to the norovirus infection, various messenger substances are released in the body, which lead to an increase in temperature. The body then tries to save and burn energy by restricting some bodily functions so that the temperature rises as quickly as possible. For this reason, you may feel chills and cold at the beginning of the fever increase, as the body tries to save heat.

When the fever drops, the body sweats accordingly to get rid of the heat. The fever has the important benefit that immune cells can work better at the increased temperature. A certain body temperature is therefore helpful in the acute phase of the disease and should not be lowered by medication.

Only at temperatures above 40°C are too many bodily functions restricted, so that the fever should be reduced. Drugs from the NSAID group, for example ibuprofen, indomethacin or diclofenac, are suitable for this purpose. You can find more information about fever here.

Muscle and joint pain

Muscle and joint pain is the typical early symptom of an impending flu. The flu is generally not described as an illness with a flu virus, but as a typical seasonal infection. Muscle and joint pain is often the first signal of an impending illness.

This is due to an activation of the immune system, which reduces metabolic processes in the muscle. As a result, muscles and joints feel exhausted and painful even without effort. The pain is often closely associated with the development of fever. If the fever rises, the pain intensifies. In fever-free phases, exhaustion and muscle pain also occur less frequently.

Other unspecific symptoms

A conventional norovirus infection usually does not need to be treated and only lasts a few days. After initial contact with the viruses, they need a few hours to a day to multiply in the body and settle in the intestine. There, the pathogens attack the mucous membrane and cause malfunctions of the intestines, which in turn cause diarrhoea and vomiting.

The vomiting usually lasts for about two days. The diarrhea can persist for a further 3 days, so that the total duration of the symptoms is usually 4-5 days. Fever, aching limbs and headaches may also persist for about 4 days.

They express that the body is still fighting against a high load of viruses. Even when the symptoms have subsided, the risk of infection is still low. Strict toilet hygiene must be maintained for about two more days in any case, as the pathogens are still excreted in the stool.

The total duration is variable for each person. The strength of the immune system has a decisive influence on the fight against the pathogens. After taking immunosuppressive medication, in the context of an immunodeficient disease, in old age or in small children, a weakened immune defence can be expected. The time between infection and onset of symptoms is shortened, but the overall duration of the disease can be significantly prolonged. It is not uncommon for all those affected that even after the last symptoms have disappeared, a certain tiredness and weakness still remain as the body recovers from the past strains of the disease.