Can I get sick from a friend's friend??

[FluffyScout]

Please help!
I have had the worst day- midway through the day I had a panic attack (my first one in quite a while) and then I talked with my friend. When I met up with her later after class, she said that earlier she had needed to take her friend to the nurse because she had gotten s*. She said her friend had been sick the night before (I don't know whether she meant she had V* or had just felt s*), but then felt better in the morning, so she CAME TO SCHOOL which is literally the stupidest thing you could do! Anyway, I had been around the friend for about an hour a few days previous. I'm terrified I would have got it off her, or my friend (whom I live with) will have it from her and I will get it because I'll be in the same house all weekend. I don't know if 'it' is a sv* or food poisoning or something else, but I'm still worried. Please tell me, is it likely to get s*?? Neither my friend nor me have shown any symptoms at all (I've had some stomach/bowel problems but I that's been going on for long before this started) I'm really worried!

(Plus to top it off, when I was walking home I saw someone v* in their front yard )

[zombie0037]

It hard to know wether you get it or not, usual hygene methods are needed, unfortunately these bugs spreed like wildfire, i am sure you we be fine though

[FluffyScout]

Zombie0037
As a fellow emetophobe YOU SHOULD KNOW how much a reply like that can send an emetophobe into a panic attack. This is meant to be a help and support forum. Also, as I said, I don't know if it's a bug or even what bug it could be. Please, can anyone else offer help?

[zombie0037]

Oh sorry i am only supposed, to say what you wanna here, i was just being honest,

[AoD]

I have to agree with zombie, coddling people and lying to them just to reassure them isn't exactly good. The goal of the forum is to offer support to deal with the phobia, yes, but recovery requires facing this fear rationally, and that includes being realistic about the chances of catching something. The truth is that you're not likely to have caught it from "patient zero" before she was sick, but it is possible your roommate will come down with it since she was taking care of "patient zero". There are precautions you can take to reduce your likelihood of catching it if that happens, yes, but it's never 100%. Nothing is.

[maeflower]

She could be unwell with anything, but IF it is contagious and IF your friend comes down with it, practising good hygiene will help you avoid it. I'd prepare all my own food and wash my hands thoroughly before handling it, and would avoid touching my face unless my hands had just been washed. I think it's very unlikely you'll catch it yourself. Keep busy, you're gonna be fine.

[FluffyScout]

I don't want to be attacked about this, it's just I'm pretty sure everyone on this forum knows that bugs spread quickly and I just got freaked out about it. Sorry. Well my friend is still fine and she's been around her friend since the start of when she got sick, which is about 2 days... I'm really hoping the friend had a non-transferable bug... Yes of course I practice good hygiene like washing hands etc,,, and someone else prepares our food for us, not her. Is it possible to get it through being in the same area though?
Anyway thank you all for your help

[Syrup]

No, you can't catch it from being in the same area or simply being around someone who's ill. You HAVE TO eat the particles to become sick. If your hands are clean you're safe. The VAST MAJORITY of people that catch Noro each year are children and the elderly because of the hygiene issue. You're far removed from the sickness and it's unlikely that your friend will become symptomatic. You're totally safe!

[FluffyScout]

@Syrup
Thanks so much for your reply! My friend hasn't come down with anything yet; I'm assuming if she was sick she would have shown symptoms by now. My friend also assured me that the sick friend was fine, and she was just stressed and overworked, so I don't think it was noro, but who knows. Anyway thank you all for your help, I feel much better and less worried

[Syrup]

I'm sure she's fine and if your friend isn't ill by now she didn't catch it. You're TOTALLY SAFE! Glad you're feeling better and less anxious.