Noro in the UK...

[R1ch1973]

The thing is in a normal healthy person v* isnt that much of a regular occurance unless you get pregnant or drunk.If we had a stomach bug once a month for a year we would proberly tire of being scared and get better.Ive not been s* for 6 years

[LeviKing]

It was a severe bout of Norovirus one night in 2009 that first triggered my Emetophobia, I can't describe how much that whole night left a mental scar.. So naturally, I've been on edge in regards to all the big ''NOROVIRUS OUTBREAK!'' news headlines online lately, euuugh. I have a doctors appointment tomorrow morning and I don't care if I look 'odd' I'm wearing one of those surgical face masks.

We seriously need a vaccine for this damn virus.

[Rls1994]

Umm, I know someone who has bad emetophobia and they were s* recently, due to travel. And it didn't cure their emetophobia.. In fact, it's made them worse.

Anyways, I agree King, I was perfectly fine until I read online and in the Newspapers about this stupid virus. I'm worried about my sister who's going to the dentist on the 20th, as that's usually when that sv* is in our area. AND that's the time we always used to go down with it... Right before Christmas. So of course I'm going to worry about that for a couple of days after they've been there, until like 4 days later and they haven't shown any symptoms.

[LivelyLucy]

I hate the media when it comes to this, they make it sound like you just need to touch any surface and it will immediately absorb into your skin and within a couple of days you'll be blasting out of both ends (sorry!) With regards to the daily mail, they had an article yesterday about how to "prevent" norovirus, with a paragraph stating if you havent caught it yet then you probably will soon! Scaremongering much!

Haha this makes me laugh! The first outbreak i heard of was during secondary school 4 years ago,Someone in the work experience office had caught this "vomit bug" but i shrugged it off.
4 years its attacked us all and i havent caught it,neither has any of my parents who couldnt give a crap about touching infected surfaces!

It is also possible to avoid noro,but what you need to notice and think of is where your hands go as a reflex,such as poking your fingers in your mouth,wiping your nose or eyes,think before doing it
Also whenever you get home,wash your hands with warm water,then relax it cant get you!
One thing i got told is its SO unlikely to pick up the bug,think 1600 people out of 61 million,Most of those being children!
The one key to staying safe and healthy is keep yourself moving,wrapped up and clean,always carry a little hand sanitizer (alcohol based are USELESS,If in uk try NOGERMS hand sanitizer)

As a emetphobic,i hate vomitting to te extent id rather have injections (which im scared of aswell...)
But the one thing i try to remember is,Vomitting is a natural way of getting rid of toxins,If we are EVER going to be sick,our bodies are asking for help. No punishing us

Emetphobe for almost a decade. if you want to chat more message me :P

[Seremonia]

Great advice! I have to be honest, Im getting a real dislike for hand sanitizers! I think they're fine when you're on the go and have no access to a sink, but it annoys me when im at work and the people I work with opt to use an "anti-bacterial" hand gel before eating their lunch, instead of walking to the sink and washing their hands properly! Ive given up trying to tell people that those things are useless....

[LivelyLucy]

Great advice! I have to be honest, Im getting a real dislike for hand sanitizers! I think they're fine when you're on the go and have no access to a sink, but it annoys me when im at work and the people I work with opt to use an "anti-bacterial" hand gel before eating their lunch, instead of walking to the sink and washing their hands properly! Ive given up trying to tell people that those things are useless....

Oh my god yes they are,i USED to,but ive been washing my hands then eating for the past 2 months after finding out :/

To be honest those people have their own free will,if they fall ill,its their own fault :L

[LeviKing]

It is also possible to avoid noro,but what you need to notice and think of is where your hands go as a reflex,such as poking your fingers in your mouth,wiping your nose or eyes,think before doing it
Also whenever you get home,wash your hands with warm water,then relax it cant get you!
One thing i got told is its SO unlikely to pick up the bug,think 1600 people out of 61 million,Most of those being children!
The one key to staying safe and healthy is keep yourself moving,wrapped up and clean,always carry a little hand sanitizer (alcohol based are USELESS,If in uk try NOGERMS hand sanitizer)

Thanks for that Lucy (and you too seremonia), that's put my mind at ease a little for my doctors appointment tomorrow. The doctors office, a place that I've come to imagine as being some type of massively infected noro area..

[Seremonia]

Oh my god yes they are,i USED to,but ive been washing my hands then eating for the past 2 months after finding out :/

To be honest those people have their own free will,if they fall ill,its their own fault :L

I know but these are the people that normally come into work the day after being ill with a sv and say to me: "dont worry! I wont pass it on because ive brought some hand sanitizer with me!" argh lol!

[Seremonia]

"If you don’t put your hands in your mouth, don’t eat uncooked foods prepared in a restaurant, don't stand beside someone who's vomiting and don’t eat raw or steamed shellfish it is impossible to contract a Norovirus. Ensuring that your hands are properly washed before eating ensures that you will not catch it as well. There is no need to fear if you hear that someone at work or a friend you’ve visited has come down with the virus. You can’t catch it by simply being near someone who has it.

No matter how much of an “outbreak” of the virus is in your geographic area, you are at no greater risk of catching it than if only one person has it. Good hygiene will ensure you are safe."

This bit of information always makes me feel a bit better

[Rls1994]

I remember when I used to be at college, I used to take anti-bacterial wipes with me and thought I would be absolutely fine if I used them before I started eating. I only found out recently that they don't help against the Norovirus, so I feel like a complete and utter bellend now. I'm so lucky I didn't catch it! Then again, this was like September time, when it wasn't going around as much.

[LeviKing]

I remember when I used to be at college, I used to take anti-bacterial wipes with me and thought I would be absolutely fine if I used them before I started eating. I only found out recently that they don't help against the Norovirus, so I feel like a complete and utter bellend now. I'm so lucky I didn't catch it! Then again, this was like September time, when it wasn't going around as much.

Same here, I've been going round for the last month or so with that hand sanitizer gel, now it's like.. ''Yeah... those things don't help against Noro'', haha, best sticking to soap and hot water from now on eh? It's a shame you can't carry hot water and soap around with you in a handy little compact pocket pack though as you can with the wipes/gel packs.

[MinnieMac]

I've been washing my hands like a fiend, they're now all dry and look like an old ladys' hands! Well, I've been trying to carry on as normal but I MAY have just stopped going out as much. Last night though, I had arranged to meet a couple of friends for dinner. I considered pulling out because of you know what but I thought "No, I'm going to go and have a good time damnit!". Well, about an hour before, one of the girls text me and said she wouldn't make it as her daughter has a sickness bug she picked up at nursery. Of course I'm sorry to hear it, but I was relieved she decided not to join us. I was worried throughout dinner with my other friend thinking "what if one of the chefs has it, or a waitress, or a person who drunk out of this glass?!" Anyway, dinner was great and about 10 mins after I got home, I got a message from my friend I met saying "oh my God, I feel soooo sick and have a terrible headache and have that lump in my throat you get before you throw up!!". You can imagine my panic. I didn't think it could be food poisoning because it came on so quickly so it HAD to be noro! I told her to let me know how she felt today and thank God, she text me saying she was fine. I swear, the ONE time I decided to go out and so bloody typical I thought I was exposed to it.
The official figures show that they think there's around 600,000 people with noro in the which when you think about it... it's not THAT bad. Out of 60 million, what is that 10% or something? Sorry I'm bad at numbers hahah!

[Rls1994]

Same here, I've been going round for the last month or so with that hand sanitizer gel, now it's like.. ''Yeah... those things don't help against Noro'', haha, best sticking to soap and hot water from now on eh? It's a shame you can't carry hot water and soap around with you in a handy little compact pocket pack though as you can with the wipes/gel packs.

Haha, I know! Man, I'm so glad this virus wasn't going around at the time, or I bet I would have caught it! I don't want to ruin my 8 year streak without being sick. Ugh, this phobia stops me from visiting people nowadays, since I'm always thinking 'what if they go down with it when I'm there?' etc. I couldn't imagine the sort of panic attack I would get if that happened.

[LivelyLucy]

I've been washing my hands like a fiend, they're now all dry and look like an old ladys' hands! Well, I've been trying to carry on as normal but I MAY have just stopped going out as much. Last night though, I had arranged to meet a couple of friends for dinner. I considered pulling out because of you know what but I thought "No, I'm going to go and have a good time damnit!". Well, about an hour before, one of the girls text me and said she wouldn't make it as her daughter has a sickness bug she picked up at nursery. Of course I'm sorry to hear it, but I was relieved she decided not to join us. I was worried throughout dinner with my other friend thinking "what if one of the chefs has it, or a waitress, or a person who drunk out of this glass?!" Anyway, dinner was great and about 10 mins after I got home, I got a message from my friend I met saying "oh my God, I feel soooo sick and have a terrible headache and have that lump in my throat you get before you throw up!!". You can imagine my panic. I didn't think it could be food poisoning because it came on so quickly so it HAD to be noro! I told her to let me know how she felt today and thank God, she text me saying she was fine. I swear, the ONE time I decided to go out and so bloody typical I thought I was exposed to it.
The official figures show that they think there's around 600,000 people with noro in the which when you think about it... it's not THAT bad. Out of 60 million, what is that 10% or something? Sorry I'm bad at numbers hahah!

600,00 is 1% of 60 million. Even so,that shows one out of every 100 people will get the illness,thats massive figures,youre most likely be one of the 99 that dont,unless youre awfully unlucky,but think about it 100 people in a room,on average 1 of that 100 people will get it through average life.
Many normal people dont contract it at all,if you want to avoid the bug you have to be careful
Also with eating out,your food is unlikely to have it on there from the chef,because chefs must call in sick too,and if they call with that bug i am sure they are put on strict washing techniques to ensure it doesnt transmit to the consumer,because being sick from a restraunts food can damage the image,trust me. I got sick YEARS ago from bad food in a Yates restraunt and now we never go there.

And i got the lump and shitty headache last friday and was completly fine,it couldve been a migraine,flu,cold etc...

Just dont have a epidemical panic,with good hygiene,awareness and care with food preparation you can avoid the bug completely (unless youre REALLY UNLUCKY) to have someone spew right in your face or feet which is unlikely since emets escape at the sign of nausea

Haha have a lovely winter,ive already had a bed ridden cold,flu and migraine. :P good luck~ xx