When can I stop worrying?

[k10]

I posted yesterday with concern about my boyfriend v*ing. Now I'm certain he has the SV (probably noro) and I may or may not have been exposed. (I left as soon as the v* started at 5AM Friday morning but I had kissed him & slept in the same bed all night until then. He felt sick & v*d all day Friday.)

Of course I'm having a lot of anxiety about this even though I probably wasn't exposed. It hit him so suddenly! One minute he was fine and the next he was very sick. I REALLY don't want to v* and I have a midterm exam Monday morning that I really can't miss!

My question is this: if I was exposed, how long until I can expect symptoms? It's almost noon on Saturday now so it's been more than 24 hours now since he started showing symptoms. A lot of different websites say 12 - 48 hours, but some say 72, and others say up to 7 days!

Does anyone here know the truth about how long it takes? I'd really appreciate a reliable answer.

Thanks in advance!

[sadie1001]

From all that I've read, it will usually come out within 48hrs. sometimes earlier. I would say if you get to 72 hrs, you can start to feel some relief.

[SUM1]

You can only catch the virus if you eat something containing particles from the diarrhoea or v* of someone who's infected. If you've just been sleeping with him before he was v*ing, then it's highly unlikely that you'll have caught the virus. If you got out quick enough after he v*ed, you'll be fine. Only if you stayed there then put your fingers in your mouth without washing your hands or ate something without washing your hands would you get the virus. You can't get the virus by breathing the air of the infected person or walking past their v*. I hope this reassured you.

[k10]

That helps, thank you!

[SUM1]

Just keep washing your hands. Norovirus only infects through the fecal-oral route. It can't be inhaled then infect someone, you'd have to ingest it through your mouth. Only in some very rare cases would someone breathe in the particles and then swallow them.

[Mamafear]

My 4 children have had many many svs over the years and I can only go on history but it has been pretty set. When they've had noro type bugs, ie, lots of v, it's taken 48 hours, (we've had 7 seperate cases of this). When they've had what we call 'The one Chunder Wonder', it usually takes 48 hrs but has once taken less and in two cases exactly 7 days (both kids, one night!) So if our history is reliable, I'd have thought you'd have had it by now. How are you doing?

[sdd]

My entire extended family had noro over the holidays. It hit almost everyone 24-30 hours after they'd been exposed. Some it took 36.

I don't think you are going to get it though.

[k10]

I'm good so far .. it's been a little over 48 hours since I got to his apartment on Thursday night, 5AM tonight will be 48 hours since he v*d for the first time (and I left immediately!). So I might be in the clear.. I'll be sure in the morning I think!

[SUM1]

I honestly think you'll be fine as long as you didn't ingest/put in your mouth anything that could have been infected.

[k10]

The thing that concerns me is that I touched something with the virus on it (possibly the same thing he touched to contract it) and then touched my mouth. I may have done that without thinking. I would never in public but at his apartment I let my guard down a little.

This said, it's been over 48 hours now and no symptoms for me! aside from anxiety.

My new concern is going back over to his apartment this week, we usually spend a lot of our time together there but I'm going to be afraid to touch anything or sleep in his bed.

[SUM1]

For me, I would NEVER touch anything then touch my mouth. I've rarely ever touched my mouth or put my fingers in it. I would have thought someone with emetophobia, like you, wouldn't. Even at my home I wouldn't. As long as you wash your hands after touching anything that might be "infected", you should be fine. Wash them regularly, after the toilet, after eating, and every few hours if you aren't doing anything. For me, instead of repeatedly washing my hands, I do the alternative. I just never put my hands near my mouth. I do touch "infected" things but I never touch anything I eat and I never eat anything that's offered to me, and I don't put my fingers near my mouth unless I'd washed my hands. It seems you do touch your mouth sometimes, so the best option for you would be to keep washing your hands .

Another thing, get him to keep reporting to you how he feels. If he says he feels better, he'll still be contagious for about 24-48 hours after. If he still doesn't feel well, you should probably get him to understand your phobia and have him let you avoid him if you want to.

[k10]

Trust me, I wash my hands VERY often. I'm just worried that I slipped up.

He's very understanding about my phobia. I won't see him until after he has felt better for a day or two, but I'm still going to be afraid.

[k10]

It's been over 72 hours and he's been symptom free since Saturday.. I think I'm good, but I'm still having anxiety-induced nausea.