What are ALL the ways you can get Noro?

[Asgardia]

This may sound really silly to ask, but is it possible to get a sv* even if you wash your hands before eating, NEVER put your hands in your mouth or are not around someone who is in the process of v*? I know you can get sick from food poisoning - I am just referring to the actual bug that you can get from a sick person. I was under the impression that you had to come in contact with the particles by ingesting them or some other way of getting them into your mouth in order to get infected. Then I hear about people who say they always wash their hands etc and they still managed to get sick. I mean, you would have to actually put them in your mouth in order to get infected, right?

Sorry if this is rambly or obvious... I have just been a little more stressed lately with this new strain out, so I am sure you understand. I just want someone else to reassure me other than my dog

[Asgardia]

I ALWAYS make sure to never put my hands near my mouth if I haven't washed them first. Just touching my face won't infect me though, will it? Don't I kinda have to have my fingers near my mouth? Once again, sorry if this sounds silly.

[emetafraid]

You can get noro from eating food prepared by an infected person who hasn't washed their hands (gross, but it happens)..or caring for someone with noro (like being with them when they v)..I mean it sounds quite avoidable..but because you only need to ingest a very small amount of particles..people who are a perhaps a little lax about handwashing can easily contract it.

[AoD]

Well, a lot of people who get sick from noro even though they were super careful either got it from contaminated food or they have something else (food poisoning) and claim it is noro. Keep in mind that if a surface is contaminated with noro, the virus can be picked up by touching it and then transferred to another surface, that can happen up to 8 times in a row. And the virus can stay infectious for up to two weeks on porous materials like fabric, leather, carpets, etc.

And yes, you'd have to put your contaminated hands in your mouth/eyes/nose to get infected as they all connect to the digestive tract. Just touching another part of your face is safe if you are careful not to rub it again before touching your mouth or whatever. Keep in mind that a lot of people touch their faces without really thinking about it, when they have hair blow into their face, because it's itchy, etc. so even though they try to keep their hands off their face, they don't always manage it.

[Asgardia]

Alright, thanks guys. Pretty much what I thought, I just wanted to be reassured. I really have gotten into the habit of not putting my hands near my mouth/nose/eyes AT ALL unless they were just washed. I know you said that people touch their face without thinking about it, but this is always on my mind... so I just never get close to those parts of my face. I know you can get noro from contaminated food (and you don't know when that will happen) so of course eating out normally makes me nervous. Sometimes you just gotta take the risk I guess, otherwise I would never be able to eat tasty food, ha ha (I can't cook).

Thanks again

[AoD]

Also keep in mind that a lot of people who touch their faces and bite their nails when taking public transportation *shudder* don't actually get sick THAT often, so you'd have to be extremely unlucky to catch something from accidentally touching your face once in a while.

[Cynna]

I am a nail bitter and also open ketchup packets with my teeth. I have only had it 4 or 5x in 42 years. Never had it till I was 21. I did not wash hands very good when I was younger. Sorry if I freaked anyone out by this admission--hiding head in sand.

[Asgardia]

I used to bite my nails all the time and open things with my teeth (like packets etc). Now, I don't at all. It's funny - I still have the urge to bite my nails, but since I won't put them in my mouth it just annoys the heck out of me if I can't do it, lol.

Going back on the topic of how to get the virus... up until about a year and a half ago, I actually thought you could get this virus from being next to someone. That is why I used to get SO stressed out of I heard someone was sick or wasn't feel well. I never took the time to actually read up on it until recently. I cannot BEGIN to tell you how relieved I was when I found out that you had to ingest the actual particles. Honestly, it was the best day ever when I read that, lol.

[Cynna]

You are the only person I have ever seen relieved about the spread of noro. lol

Another Indy area person. Welcome.

[Asgardia]

Haha - I just meant that I was relieved to know the EXACT way to get it was this way, and not by other ways. I DO have some control if I get it or not ... and that was a big weight being lifted off my shoulders.

[seabreeze001]

One thing I see all the time in grocery stores... People are pushing carts around and most do not disenfect the handle and I don't completely trust the wipes to get rid of everything. Then they go to the produce section and can't open those plastic bags, so they lick their fingers to open them!!!!! ICK!!! I told a co-worker once, think about it..... what kind of germs are on that basket?? And then you lick your fingers?? She was so grossed out. She just never thought about it.

[shoppersophie]

I heard you had to ingest it too, through the particles. Have been in many houses that have had the bug, and havent managed to get it. You wont catch it by standing beside someone who sneezes (unless they excrete something while they sneeze)

[shoppersophie]

you hadn't been s* till you were 21? :O wow. i know a girl who has been ill 5 times in the past 2 months.

[hairyfairy]

Does anyone know how to open those plstic bags without licking fingers first?

[itsJoe]

So does that mean its near to impossible to catch Noro if you don't touch your face/mouth, don't eat food prepared by a carrier, don't stand near someone V*/D* and wash your hands frequently?

[jab788]

So does that mean its near to impossible to catch Noro if you don't touch your face/mouth, don't eat food prepared by a carrier, don't stand near someone V*/D* and wash your hands frequently?

Yes. It can just be hard to be 100% efficient with those precautions at times.

[Asgardia]

Does anyone know how to open those plstic bags without licking fingers first?

If you are talking about the plastic grocery bags at grocery stores... most of the time if you pull on both ends of the handle outwards (if that makes sense) it will open enough for you to just stick your hand in the middle and pull the rest apart. I suppose that takes more time, but I have no intention of putting any part of those bags in my mouth, lol.

[Asgardia]

Yes. It can just be hard to be 100% efficient with those precautions at times.

Like if you don't wash your hands well enough before bed and then somehow put them in your mouth for a second while sleeping? Yeah. That is a silly fear that has been running around in my mind lately, lol.