Freaking out please help!!

[x-girl]

As I'm sure those in the UK know, there's a nasty v* virus going about. My local hospital had to close three wards. Today in work, I was serving a woman. She was coughing and joked that she wouldn't get too close to me. I asked her if she was dosed with the cold, but she said "Oh, I was V* for four days, and now this!"


I panicked! I didn't want to touch her credit card! As soon as she left I washed my hands in roasting hot water, and have washed my hands a dozen times today! I thought it would be a good thing to read into it, but now I'm even more scared as a recent news article claimed it causes projectile v*, not just "normal" into the toilet v*. I'm so scared right now. I've been doing so well these past few months, and this has brought it all back. I won't sleep tonight, I'm so scared. It's gastroenteritis, does anyone know how it's spread?





Please help me!

[2jo2]

I like to know what's going on around me, because I feel like then I can make decisions on how to handle things, where to go/not go, things like that, but then when the media talks about these viruses, it's just super scary and probably puts us thru more worry than is necessary. I hate to admit it but I do searches on the net regularly to see if there are any reports of outbreaks. I don't know what good it does me.


I think the virus is spread by touching contaminated surfaces and then touching your face, ingesting the virus. It's also spread thru the air by breathing in particles after someone has just v'd. If you wash your hands and use hand sanitizer, that does help tremendously. I posted on here a while back that there was a study done about those sanitizing gels and how they cut v bugs by like 1/2. You'd have to re-read it to be sure exactly what it said.


Take your vitamins, get lots of sleep, eat right, wash your hands, just use your common sense. I hope you're doing better, I know how scary it is, feeling like the bug is just lurking around waiting to get you, but it's really not.

[redapple]

as long as you didn't touch your face between holding her credit card and washing your hands, you will be fine! remember, it is highly unlikely for us to catch somethign because of how aware we are of germs and washing our hands. it's going around everywhere, but as long as we keep our hands clean and don't touch our faces we should be fine. Remember that!!

[madleigh]

That's one scary virus! I'm really glad I don't live in the UK. I'm so sorry you even have to worry about this!! It really sounds horrible. I don't think you'll get it since you washed your hands right after. Good luck to you and all of you in the UK this bug season!


Vikki

[kellybean]

This exact bug went around canada two years ago, and I was FREAKING!!! My hands were bleeding, I hardley left the house, my friends didn't like being around me cause I preached to them about washing theirs hands.It will start to die down in a couple of weeks don't worry. Just keep your hands clean!!

[sarahg]

Hiya x-girl, I know how you feel. I too live in the UK and 6 wards were closed at our local hospital last week and another 3 or 4 at another hospital which is only 20 min drive away. I only learnt this today and I'm really starting to panic.


I do wonder sometimes if it is the hospitals hygiene to blame, dont get me wrong I know they impliment strict cleaning regimes after any such outbreaks but its always the same old hospitals which suffer every single year ... they always blame it on something coming in from the community but I sometimes wonder if its the other way around.


I am trying to keep myself upbeat ... my cousin is a teacher and earlier this year they had to close the school early due to an outbreak. She had been away with some of the kids on a school trip and several went down with it ... she therefore had to clean up after them. She never got ill and neither did any of the other teachers/helpers who were there.


Take care, Sarah

[justintd]

One benefiet to being a medical professional as I am, is I know the pathology of many of the virus's. PPL's initial ideas of hand washing are very well founded. Typical Rota-Virus or Norwalk-Virus is transmitted via bodily fluid, more specifically fecal matter (ew). The virus attacks the digestive tract and cuases irritation, as well as releasing toxins, which cause your body to ether V, poop or both.


There are some virus's that are airbourne, and do affect the digestive tract. Influenza (believe it or not) is typically not one of them. It affects the respiratory system, and commonly in children it will irritate the GI causing V/poop.


Now, compatability with the virus. Typically, once you have been exposed, if you have not developed previous immunity to it, you will likely contract it within 1-3 days. In some cases, you will not be symptomatic, and others you will. What symptoms you do develope, depend greatly on your bodies ability to fight the infection, and which area of the GI it attacks. Kids are more likely to ctach these virus's as they ahve less exposure to them than adults. Likewise, the elderly, sick, or chorincally ill are more likely as their immune systems can no longer fend off infection as well.


Now with all this being said, if you read my post asking for support, you will see that even though I know not to fear it, it terrifies the bajesus out of me.

[Kazzia]

My mum works in a hospital 20 miles away and she's currently on a run of night shifts....last night she told me there has been an outbreak of Norwalk Virus, thankfully on a ward that's over the other side of the hospital! I'm a bit worried but she says this every year and as long as it avoids her ward it should be OK. She blames increased visitor numbers and not such strict hygience and limitations on visitors as there used to be in the 70s and 80s when she first started nursing. There seems to be so many more cases these days! Im sure the warm wet and windy weather doesnt help in the spreading of bugs...hopefully it will get much colder tomorrow!