How can I tell if I am still contagious? | How long is a Norovirus infection contagious?

How can I tell if I am still contagious?

As long as the infection with Norovirus is still acute, one can also assume that one is contagious. Nausea and watery bowel movements are therefore the best indicator of a still existing risk of infection. Two days after the last symptoms have disappeared, one should generally no longer be contagious. However, there is no guarantee that one is no longer contagious.

Is there a test I can use to test my risk of infection?

There are test procedures in which a stool sample can be examined for the presence of noroviruses or traces thereof. However, this test is only used for people who need to be diagnosed in order to protect others, for example in hospital or nursing homes. However, this test is rarely made available to individuals because the disease is self-limiting and a definitive diagnosis would not change the therapy. The constellation of symptoms with severe vomiting and very watery diarrhea over a relatively short period of time is so characteristic of an infection with the norovirus that a test is often not necessary

How can I prevent an infection?

If a person in the immediate vicinity is infected with the Norovirus, one can try to limit the spread of the infection. Hand hygiene is the most important measure to protect yourself from infection. Washing your hands regularly reduces the number of viruses you may have picked up when using a common bathroom.

Washing your hands thoroughly is especially advisable before eating, when your hands are brought to your mouth. Regular use of a hand disinfectant is also recommended. When buying it, however, care should be taken to ensure its effectiveness against noroviruses.

If you have a second toilet in your household, it is recommended that the person with the disease uses his or her own toilet during the period of illness. This can be disinfected after the infection is over. It is also advisable for the patient to have their own towels, which should be washed at 60-90° to avoid infecting others above.

If the rooms are shared, it is worth airing out after going to the toilet and regularly cleaning surfaces, the toilet seat and door handles with disinfectant. Especially if your own children are ill, it is difficult to ensure sufficient hygiene to avoid infection. Special care and attention is required here.The most effective way to protect others from infection with Norovirus is hand hygiene.

Washing and possibly disinfecting hands after each visit to the bathroom is mandatory. This at least prevents the virus from being transmitted via contamination of touched surfaces. Noroviruses are very infectious and survive for a long time on surfaces.

Regular disinfection of the toilet and bathroom helps to minimize the risk of infection, even during the next two days after the symptoms have ceased. With a norovirus infection you should definitely stay at home to avoid exposing your colleagues to an unnecessary risk of infection. If possible, one should avoid physical proximity to other people during the acute phase of the disease.

Although the feeling of sickness is great with a norovirus infection, a visit to a doctor or hospital should only be considered in an emergency. Since the disease passes rather quickly and there are no useful drugs, such a visit only increases the risk of spreading the virus. However, if the diarrhea with vomiting is accompanied by high fever or a severe feeling of illness, or if it lasts longer than two days, a doctor should be consulted, as it could possibly be another pathogen.