Norovirus news & other scary things

[sage]

I've started this thread, and made it sticky, so that ALL scary stuff about WHERE Norovirus is, WHAT they're saying about it, and all that other stuff that scares the hell out of people. So please post away all that stuff here and NOT anywhere else.


Scary posts found elsewhere will be moved here.


If reading about this stuff makes you MORE AFRAID, PLEASE do not read anything on here. You might think you want to, or you might be tempted to, like stopping at a car accident to look, but honestly you will feel WORSE. So just avoid this area altogether.


I hope this makes for a happier, more helpful website altogether.

[joed333]

Hey everyone, i'm so scared now! The norwalk virus is lurking in my city of Ottawa, Canada. I feel i have it a bit cause yesterday i came sooooooo close to being sick and a tonight felt really sick too [img]smileys/smilies_06.gif[/img] I keep having the runs and the chills plus i still feel queazy! I hope i don't throw up!!! [img]smileys/smilies_05.gif[/img] Has anyone here almost thrown up? I'm also so upset because people who don't have emetophobia don't understand that vomitting doesn't make it better or the fear go away but it makes it worse. I'm so scared but so tired and wish i could sleep but i'm so scared if i sleep that i'll have to wake up and throw up [img]smileys/smilies_12.gif[/img]

joanne

[punchbuggy]

sorry you feel sick , try to get some rest. Get better soon [img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img]

[susie_q]

I have came so close to v* so many times. I truly believe it is mind
over matter. I always choose to hold back, which probably makes me sick
longer. I am sorry you feel so sick and you will get through this, no
matter what. It sounds like the worst part is over for you though.
Don't be afraid to go to sleep, sleep always makes me feel better.

[prncesspnk]

actually, holding it in does not make you sick for longer... v*ing is just something the virus is told to make your body do... v*ing doesn't help get the virus out quicker

[centipede]

I'm so glad this thread was started. For the past few weeks I've been so scared of getting this virus that I'm turning OCD about washing my hands, andavoiding crowds.


Last week I ran out to the store to buy Dr. Weil's Immune Boosting capsules hoping this willhelp prevent me from getting SV. I don't know if any of these herbal immune strengthening remedies work but mentally I feel a little better.

[subaruprincess]

We're in Washington state, it's all over the news here. I try not to watch it, but my husband alays has it on. I'm a wreck. About the only thing it's been good on is my bank account, as I'm too paranoid to go anywhere. I think my son had it a few weeks back, but it didn't spread beyond him thanks to my paranoia. I'm finally seeing a real psychologist who has experience with phobias next week. Hopefully he can help. I just keep praying. I've been washing my hands so much that they're bleeding. Anytime any of the kids says anything about digestive issues, I freak out. The phobia is definitely getting worse. As for the NV thing, I just keep praying that the massive outbreak will go away without touching our family.


As for the frequency of v* with norovirus, according to studies on pubmed, only 65% of adults infected with it had v*, and nearly all had d*.

[gemini72]

I heard today, from a woman who's daughter lives in Marblehead, MA - that they closed an elementary school because of Norwalk. YIKES!


Nichole

[madisonsmom]

It seems to be in the east now. GREAT!!

[kutekim1217]

This is why I won't eat out in the winter months.


http://www.startribune.com/1244/story/960433.html

[christianne]

watch out before someone bites your head off for posting this. but yes its scarey i totally understand why you wouldnt want to eat out.

LOL...No kidding!! On another note, the article DOES explain that the rise of norovirus is because people are not washing their hands enough. So simple, yet people just don't do it for some reason. I have always been an avid handwasher, even before my emet got bad. I just cannot understand why people would want to eat something without having clean hands first......it's just plain nasty.

[lgood22573]

Me too- it grosses me out when I see people leaving the bathroom without washing their hands especially if they see other people in there. At least ACT like you are washing your hands. ha! Lazy people are the reason for the noro season. But yeah- this should probably be moved to the scary stuff section. I'm not upset, but others might be.

[worrygirl]

That's not scary!! It's just the truth why this crap spreads like wildfire. The sad part is it could be eliminated if people took 20 sec to wash their hands. It's so freaking simple!!!!!!!!!!

[californiagirl]

I'm not upset either, because it's the truth. Good thing is, I think the icky norovirus season may be on the decline, and honestly I haven't heard of anyone who's had it.


We went to a restaurant Friday night, and I was SO HAPPY to see that the kitchen staff were all wearing gloves (they had a window so you could see in the kitchen). I think if they wear gloves, it may almost eliminate the noro yuckies being spread to the food. You all agree?


Here's an excert (sp):


>>>>To Smith, the solution is tragically simple.


"If people would wash their hands after they go to the bathroom and before they eat, we wouldn't have norovirus," he said. Deprived of its favorite host, it might eventually disappear altogether from the ecosystem. <<<<<<<<<<<<&l t;<


So, even if other people don't wash their hands, as long as we do after touching any public surfaces, we should be fine. That really feel relieved that we can, in fact, eliminate our own chance of getting this.Edited by: californiagirl

[kellybean]

It's scary and it's the truth, and we already know all of this. It's the people who DON'T practice good hygene who need to read and follow this!!

[hippychick]

Just moved some posts over.

[gemini72]

It should be a law -





WASH YOUR HANDS AFTER BATHROOM BUISNESS!!!!!!!!!!


!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![img]smileys/smilies_04.gif[/img]


Nichole

[kasey]

I know that news articles are posted somewhere else...However, I have no idea where.


So this is a news article.


It's not scary at all...It's actually encouraging...I rather enjoyed it.


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...70129144547.ht m

[chibi]

I find these articles fascinating. I'm a Bio major and I'm learning about viruses in class right now. Interesting little bastards lol

Well its no use telling people here to handwash... the general public needs to be smacked upside the head and yelled into their ear.. WASH YOUR HANDS AFTER WIPING YOUR CHEEKS you filthy lazy sonovva...

[worrygirl]

hee hee, that's funny chibi! There should be some kind of alarm that sounds (inpublic areas)if you don't wash your hands.

[penny77]

I can't believe how high the percentage is of people who don't wash their hands! I'm actually disgusted right now.[img]smileys/smilies_07.gif[/img] That is one of the first things I remember learning as a child. I have a hard enough time eating out in the winter months without having to worry about whether or not the cook washed his grimy hands! UGH! Sorry I'm ranting...thank-you for listening.

[taner]

The most dreaded thing happened to me. I got the norwalk/noro virus thinger D:...Though I have to say it wasn't as horrific as past years. It was my first time being sick in 6 years. It was absolutely terrifying...But what's horrible is there was no way to fight it...which sounds horrible...but it took the fear away VERY quick.

I felt sick...and had incredible heartburn...one night a couple days after the SV hit EVERYONE in my family..I was terrified and freaking out...and out of no where I felt this burst of saliva in my mouth...and knowing so much about the process of V* I knew what was happening I got up in a panic...and was telling my mom: I FEEL REALLY SICK MOM!!! I FEEL SICK!...and then for a moment that I stopped fighting I started retching...let me tell you...That was like my life flashing before my eyes. It was terrible. I retched for about 5 minutes...It just wouldn't come up..then it did...I felt bad still and sat in the washroom for an hour and a half...and of course it hit me again...but that time it was out of nowhere...I just felt my heartbeat rise..and knew what was happening...I did it again...but still felt sick...and like there was still more...but there wasnt : )! Thank god...only 3 hours...compared to the fear installing 13 hours I had 6 years ago. There was A LOT of D* as well. But it truely was not THAT bad. Everyone in my family who got it..got sick once to about 5 times throughout a day and my aunt who has BAD stomach problems was sick for 2 days on and off ...but unless your stomach is so sensitive you cant eat Starches/Dairy and whatever you eat comes out as D* I'm pretty sure you're safe from that.

So basically in OTTAWA, Canada
- 1 to 5ish rounds (much lower if you're an emet I'd guess)
- Fever (102)
- Chills
- D*
- Heartburn, Gas

Cure Rate: A Day to two days. V* done within the first few hours.

This is no more violent then one of those 1 round stomach flu's you have when you're a kid. Of course there are many other strains of norovirus...but From MANY friends...MANY Relatives This seems to be the dominating one. But the Goal here...is if you're in doubt RUN...My mom managed to fight it off for 3 days...and didnt get sick (She used Ginger, Gingerale, Gravol, Pepto, Immodium...lol) She survived but had quite the headache. But if you cannot fight it, Don't...It will cause quite some pain in your muscles the day after...and will make the whole thing last longer...The Retching I had which lasted about 5 - 10 mins both times...was the fighting....It made things so much worse...cuz when it started for good...It just came out...And you were done. This has NOT cured me...but this is the virus to get out of all Norovirus strains...As it will be a stepping stone to your recovery. I am now not as nervous...I'm still kinda in shock lol. But I am so much more confident...

But it does seem...its coming to a close XD so you lucky folks may escape it...but really this is the happiest form of Norovirus I think you could get.

[snakemed]

aw Taner - you did so well! ur an absolute star![img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img]


I am scared of myself v*, but mainly other people, which is tricky. I had to v* in November - it wasnt Norovirus, but some kind of virus.I feltfaint and unwell during a meeting at work and had to excuse myself twiceas I hadD*. It wasyuck and made me feel lightheaded, but my colleagues were really good and made me a "bed" on one of the sofas! I slept for a few hours and thought I had maybe better eat something, so I drank some Lucozade (energy drink).


I decided to try and drive home - only about 20 miles, so I quickly went to the supermarket nearby, but at the checkout I felt faint again and had to sit on the floor, which was embarrassing. I was ok, but phoned one of my colleagues and she drove me home. I had a healthy cereal bar, because I thought maybe I needed something proper to eat, but during the journey I felt like sh*t and before I knew what I was doing, I politely asked her to pull over into the next lay-by . . . it was weird, like I knew what was going to happen, but it was ok . . . I had to do the evil deed by the roadside, it wasnt very nice at all . . .wont be eating chewy bars or Lucozade again, LOL, but it was incredibly "controlled".


I think asan emet, I can control my body. If i absolutely have to v*,I dont need to do that r*tching thing either (sorry - not one of my favourite words!) like most people, or do it for ages after. I think that is the scariest sound . . . .eeew . . .gross gross gross!


Anyways, that was my v* episode. The Dr said it was "a virus" and I was hysterical, quoting things about Noro and terrified that I could pass it on to others. She insisted that i couldnt, and it was just something that had upset my system. I kept on - " How did I get this? I wash my hands, I take my vitamins!" etc. She was so amazing, so understanding, as I was ranting and feeling terrible. She told me to eat something when I went home, but I refused, saying I might v* again, so she gave me some Buccastem right there, and I felt more confident.


No idea what it was (which is annoying, a control freak like me HAS TO KNOW, lol) but no one else I know had it.

[naomi08]

I had the norovirus TWICE!

once on christmas day and it lasted a few days, then a couple of weeks ago and it was awful. i felt like death for about a week.

MY baby daughter has just had it again too and it was terrible she was sick constantly for four whole days and we were even in the hospital with her. i hope it goes away soon [img]smileys/smilies_06.gif[/img]

[kate8]

Hi, I'm a new memeber, so relieved to have found this site, makes me feel so much better!

don't even get me started on the noro virus, in our house we fondly call it Nora! It is absolutely horrific, makes me terrified to leave the house + obsessive about hand washing. Just to say i thinka all of us emetophobes in the UK, should get onto the primeminister to start a TV campaign to educate all those out there who dnt wash thier hands after being in a public place etc.... + mayb we can stop this virus spreading so much + making life terrifying!

also any other health care professions out there? I'm a student physio, and luckily managed to avoid a ward setting on all my placements so far, but i know i will defo be on a ward next yr + one of my placements will be january 2009 which i know is prime noro time! AHHHHH just not sure how i will cope working on a ward shut with norovirus! HELP!
kate xx

[jencisco]

Wonder why the norovirus is so much more prevelant in the UK? Any ideas?
Also, I was listening to public radio the other night and there was a doctor on there talking about preventing various things. Anyway, he said that one nursing home conducted a new stratagy in an effort to keep noro out of there facility. They made every single person that walked through the door use an anti-bac hand wash...and made them wash again before they left, and before they left a restroom. Anyway, no one got the norovirus all year!! It's a shame adults have to be baby sat.

[lisa2ksd]

Hi everyone! I'm a newbie too and am so glad for this forum.

I was horrified to found out that Norovirus can actually be AEROSOLIZED via vomiting - and that it takes as few as 10 virus particles to make someone sick! Yikes! There are a lot of articles in the literature about this but here's a quick link to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention's fact sheet:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/...ovirus-factshe et.htm

I had norovirus in 2006 and was so grateful it was only in the downward direction (I'll take that any day over v*). Lost 12 pounds in 3 days, ugh.

So handwashing is just one part, it seems...and the other part is avoiding the aerosols if at all possible. Any emet that cares for someone who is ill is a hero in my book!!! I hope I can manage/cope with this - I didn't think there was hope until finding this site. [img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img]

[xmdslatx]

I never really had a deathly fear of v* (that plagues me every waking moment now) until a few months ago (during the salmonella outbreak when I researched viruses/bugs BAD idea) but it basiclly began to start November 07 when I got the stomach bug.

Before that I always had a slight fear of v*. I would always want to ride the smallest coaster in the theme park first to "get my stomach ready" of course it it never fazed me because I never really had a issue with v*.

(I can only recall myself v* 3 times before the November incident and only one of those times was the stomach bug which was worse then than it was in November)

I would always turn away when people v* and was grossed out by it.Can't watch anything Jackass related because those boys are always v* over something.

The stomach bug really wasn't as bad as my mind makes it to be, but it sucked.I tend to psych myself out a lot.I have OCD,social anxiety,anxiety and panic disorder.

I think the worse part of it for me was the fatigue that came with the v* and d* and it all coming at the same time! Also, the feeling of having no control.

I remember lying in the bathtub wishing to be dead.I was not knowledgeable on the virus so had no clue what to expect.
My dad had it the night before..he violently v* a few times and was completely fine afterwards.Even went to work the next day.He thought it was something he ate, he was even joking about the "force" in detail. (egh) so I wasn't paranoid.

The next day I was completely fine.Came home from work and felt a little sleepy (usual) and then that night I started getting stomach cramps.I thought, hey maybe this is just a bout of d* nothing serious.I didn't feel nauseas at all.So...was on the the potty doing you know what and all of a sudden I started feeling panicky and then felt that "feeling" (you just know what's going to happen) it it came out of nowhere.

Glad I had my own bathroom! I'm self conscious and didn't want anyone to hear.
Luckily, I only v* 3 times.thank god.

Twice were my meals from earlier (I am NEVER eating those three things again..even to this day just thinking of them or looking at them make me nauseas)and the last time was bile.Then I just had d* for the rest of the night and the next day all day.I felt extremely fatigued and could barely get out of bed.I was lucky enough to be able to sip water without it coming back up.The next day I even ate cereal (was so hungry!)

My mother also caught it the next day.

It was inconvenient getting up practically every 7 minutes but I would rather do that all day everyday for a week then v* once.



Needless to say This stomach bug ruined my life.
cannot watch "The Biggest Loser" anymore because I got sick while watching.
cannot go to bed anymore without worrying about getting sick at night..I used to treasure sleep.
cannot go on any amusement park rides.
cannot go on long car rides in fear of getting sick.
cannot eat fast food anymore!
and so much more.

I'm actually surprised I caught it because I wash my hands a lot.
Well enough of my long/boring/gross story.



Does anyone know of ways to prevent this besides washing hands and avoiding crowds? like supplements to boost the immune system if that would even work.
Those winter months are coming and I am beginning to get very anxious.

[mxw08]

Reply to xmdslatx.

It was kind of funny to me when you said you can't watch "The Biggest Loser" anymore because you got sick watching it. I caught a stomach bug three and a half years ago in May, but luckily I never threw up from it, (which was pretty miraculous because my dad and brother had it too and both threw up so much they had to go to the hospital for dehydration,) I was just on the toilet seriously every five minutes for hours. It was absolutely miserable, and I couldn't sleep because I kept having to get up, so I watched Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in between rounds, and to this day, although I'm not at all afraid of diarrhea, I can't watch that show because it brings back awful memories.

As for immune boosters, it could be a total placebo effect thing, but I LOVE Airborne. At the very least, it can't hurt and you get some good vitamins.

[xmdslatx]

Reply to xmdslatx.

It was kind of funny to me when you said you can't watch "The Biggest Loser" anymore because you got sick watching it. I caught a stomach bug three and a half years ago in May, but luckily I never threw up from it, (which was pretty miraculous because my dad and brother had it too and both threw up so much they had to go to the hospital for dehydration,) I was just on the toilet seriously every five minutes for hours. It was absolutely miserable, and I couldn't sleep because I kept having to get up, so I watched Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in between rounds, and to this day, although I'm not at all afraid of diarrhea, I can't watch that show because it brings back awful memories.

As for immune boosters, it could be a total placebo effect thing, but I LOVE Airborne. At the very least, it can't hurt and you get some good vitamins.

lol..even know that I see commercials for the biggest loser my stomach starts knotting up! I am going to watch it anyways though to try to get over this sickness.I really like the show.


wow you were lucky not to v*! I only did it three times within about 2 hours or so but it seemed like 10.It wouldn't have been so bad if it didn't hurt and the d* wasn't accompanied by the v*!