Husband has norovirus

[MrsL]

Hi, everyone. I'm new here.

I am 16 weeks pregnant and about 4 days ago, my husband told me he thought he was coming down with a cold. Then, yesterday, he had d*. Later, I took a nap in our room and he came and got in the bed with me. He then woke up and said he didn't feel well, so I immediately left and went into the living room. About 10 minutes later, I heard him v-ing. I went into full-on panic mode. I immediately Lysoled all of the doorways, door handles, faucets, surfaces, and common areas. I also told him to stay in our master suite and not come out. I slept in the guest room, and I use the guest bathroom. I opened the windows to replace infected air in our house with fresh air. I was panicked because the guest bathroom (the one that I use) was the one where he had d* earlier that day... I was worried that I'd already been exposed to airborne particles because of that. Nevertheless, I poured about a cup of bleach into the toilet. I was also worried because we'd been in such close contact.

Today, my husband had to go to work. He is an ER resident physician and the attending told him that unless he was still v-ing in the morning, he should come in. When he came home tonight, he told me he'd had d* once at work but no more v-ing. So, the episode yesterday evening was the only one. Even so, I told him I wanted him to go directly to our room and stay there... I did not want him handling any of the food or utensils in the kitchen or spreading germs all around the house. I'm not taking any chances. He was offended because he feels that he's "basically recovered" and thinks I'm overreacting. I told him that I think it would be careless NOT to take every precaution to make sure that I don't catch this from him. Since I'm pregnant, I likely would end up in the hospital on an IV if I became dehydrated or couldn't keep anything down to get nutrients to my baby. I know that people with norovirus are typically still contagious for about 3 days after symptoms end, so I think that until that time period has passed, when he is at home, he needs to stay in our room and not spread germs all over the house.

You'd think that as a doctor, he would be extra vigilant about germs, but it's actually the opposite. Because he's exposed to so many on a daily basis, he takes a very casual attitude towards germs/sickness and has the opinion that a virus is not a big deal. He thinks that my terror of v* and stomach bugs is ridiculous and irrational, and because of this, we're not on the same page about what precautions need to be taken to avoid infecting the rest of the household when someone in the house is sick. Because, basically, he doesn't think it's a problem if the rest of the household gets sick. He thinks that it's absurd to inconvenience yourself to avoid getting germs, and cruel to quarantine the sick person or treat them differently. He believes that sickness is just part of life and not something you should go out of your way to avoid. I don't think anyone who isn't Emet can ever really understand how distressing this is to us.

I am just praying that I don't get this bug from him. I feel like at this point, I'm doing everything I can to prevent it (Lysol, handwashing, separate bathrooms and bedrooms), but the worry is that I was already exposed before he started v-ing. I am just panicked because I feel trapped in a house full of germs and completely powerless to do anything about it.

Does anyone here have any experience with handling the situation when a spouse has norovirus? My parents were divorced, so growing up, if someone in the household had a stomach bug, I would just leave and go to the other house. Now that I'm married and our families don't live in our city, that's not an option. Also, what do I need to do to make sure the house is fully disinfected after he's recovered? I already plan on having him wash all of the bedding and towels in the "sanitize" cycle on our washer, with bleach, vacuuming the whole house, Lysoling all of the furniture and surfaces, throwing out any food in the fridge that he touched or ate... what else do I need to do?

[daffodil]

Wipe surfaces with bleach water, and make sure the dishes and utensils are washed well. That, and all that you are already doing, and you should be just fine. Oh, and handwashing, but I didn't need to tell you that one. I can understand your concern, especially being pregnant. I'm sorry he's not being very understanding.

[pemmie]

my husband is also a doctor who works in a hospital and he got it a few years ago - and i was pregnant also! i totally feel your pain. I didn't get it and i think you're doing all the right things - i quarantined my husband to the guest room - he v* in the guest bathroom as a courtesy to me when he got sick as he knows my fear - and i also cleaned like crazy and washed hands like mad. i wiped all the doorknobs, light switches, toilet handles, faucet handles, handle to the fridge and sanitized all the clothes in the wash. i did one round of cleaning when he got sick, when his symptoms ended and then again about 48 hours after his symptoms ended. after that, i just poured bleach in the toilet every couple days until 1 week after his illness and wiped the toilet handles and faucets for 1 week. I have OCD and went a little crazy, but at least i didn't get it!

Good luck and hope you stay healthy!

[MrsL]

Thanks for the advice and support! I appreciate it! It has been 48 hours since he v* and I am still without symptoms, so I'm hoping I have bypassed it... he came home from work today though and told me he still has d*, and then started feeling worse shortly after getting home and got in bed to take a nap. He claims he is not nauseous, just exhausted, and I hope that's true and that it hasn't kicked back up. He told me that one of the other doctors also has it.

[k10]

Remember that he's still contagious for about 3 days after the symptoms stop (not to be gross, but the virus is in his poop. even if it's not d* & if he gets any on his hands and touches something before washing them, it is contagious). So, you're probably in the clear but make sure to keep sanitizing things and do not touch your mouth or any food unless you are 100% certain your hands are clean. If he's done v*, nothing is airborne. I'm sure you're taking every precaution!

I hate being in this situation because I'm so paranoid about every little feeling in my stomach, even the slightest n*. Also, my hands have been super dry from all the washing!

[MrsL]

Ugh. So, about 10 minutes after I wrote my last post, he v*ed again. So much for being "over it!" I have to admit I'm a little annoyed with him and angry because despite the fact that he was still having d* (so, clearly, not fully recovered) he didn't take it easy with his food and was apparently eating huge meals at work like bacon and eggs, fried chicken, and cornbread. I'm e-mailing my OB just to make her aware that my husband has norovirus, because I've already lost 12 pounds due to morning sickness (no v*, but severe nausea that left me unable to eat), so my weight is a concern. I want to let her know about this so that she can tell me what she wants me to do if I start exhibiting symptoms.

[hairyfairy]

Surely, being a doctor, your husband has easy access to anti-emetics, so why doesn`t he take some & stop vting his germs all over the place?

[MrsL]

I actually asked him that tonight. He claimed that he thought he was better since he only v-ed once. His dad is also a doctor, and I told him I want him to call his dad, now, and have him call in a Zofran prescription so that I can go pick it up and he can start taking it. That way we'll also have it on hand if I get it. But he keeps putting it off. Very frustrating. He was upset that I'm angry at him, but I just feel like he's being careless. I feel like if he was still having d*, he should have been eating only bland foods and not doing anything to exacerbate the illness, because he knows the level of panic (not to mention inconvenience) it causes me when he's v-ing and having d* in the house.

[daffodil]

Surely, being a doctor, your husband has easy access to anti-emetics, so why doesn`t he take some & stop vting his germs all over the place?

Exactly! MrsL, Im sorry you are still going through this. Maybe your OB would write you a script for just-in-case.

[MrsL]

I have decided I'm leaving this morning to go stay at my in-laws' house until he has gone 48 hours without any v* or d*. I just can't stay at this house anymore constantly afraid of picking up this bug and having to listen to him v*

I don't work, so there's nothing tying me here, and at this point I've just had enough. He may think it's harsh, but I think it's the right choice for everyone involved. I love him, but I just can't continue to sit here in this germ-filled house and risk infecting myself and putting my unborn baby at risk. So, he can call me when he has been symptom free for 48 hours and disinfected the house and I'll gladly come home.

[pemmie]

i doubt he'd take offense at that? it actually seems like a good idea if you don't have anything tying you to the house. stay well! i'd even stay away for 72 hours as the incubation period might be longer...

[jennjt]

I'm so sorry you're going through this! Glad you're getting out for a bit. My father-in-law is a dr, too, and it amazes me how lax he is with hygiene! He literally does not wash his hands unless he's scrubbing in for surgery! And he and my mother-in-law get the sv* about twice a year, too! Craziness. I def hit him up for anti-emetics, though, so that's a bonus . Hope you can relax some. I'm sure you have been a wreck since this began!