There is hope!

[kaykay]

Hello, my name is Kortney and I have also suffered from the fear of vomiting ever since I can remember. The fear has blocked me from having a "real" social life and going on shopping trips. I have 3 small children and my oldest will be going to school this upcoming fall and I'm terrified just thinking about all the stomach bug germs floating around. I'm cool with cleaning up vomit or taking care of someone is who is sick....just as long as I don't get it and you can never be sure. I don't use public restrooms, I NEVER stick my fingers in my mouth, and I avoid the dreaded grocery store as much as possible. I however have done extensive research on the "stomach bug" topic and there is hope for us emetophobics and this is what I've come up with:
-The stomach bug is NOT viral, (meaning, its not something you catch from the air) it has to be ingested through your nose, mouth or possibly your eyes. So if you're talking to someone who has it, you can't just "breathe it in", it has to be ingested. Its a virus that attacks the stomach and small intestine so keep your fingers out of your mouth. However, the vomit is aerosol for less than a few minutes and you can breathe it in if your RIGHT next to a vomiting person.
-What "kills" gastroenteritis? I know that CHLORIDE bleach kills it, not just bleach alone so stay away from the clorox "splashless" bleach because it does not disinfect, just brightens whites. lol! As far as hand sanitizers *drum roll* I have found a hand sanitizer that "specializes" in killing the norovirus aka stomach flu. Its called GERMSTAR NORO. Its very pricey but it has gotten me through a bout of stomach flu that ran through my kids. What makes this stuff so special? Its special because its made with 63% Ethyl alcohol (W/W) and is a liquid that you spray on your hands. It has been said that gel sanitizers actually PROTECT the virus because the gel makes a barrier around it preventing anything from penetrating and killing it. This stuff is AWESOME and well worth the price. It has given me peace of mind knowing that it is sanitizing my hands and that I can actually go out in public and know that I'm protected from the stomach bug floating around. I read that purell didn't kill that virus and I almost had a heart-attack and watched the clock to see when the 48 hour incubation period was up to see if I escaped any possible bug.
Now how to prevent getting this nasty vomit causing virus. This is what I do:
-NEVER stick your fingers in your mouth! If anyone is like me, the fingernail biting habit was out the window LONG ago!
-Wash your hand ALWAYS before eating. When I'm on the go, I use the germstar noro hand sanitizer. (I swear by this stuff!)
-Don't share eating utensils or drinks with anyone...not even your kids. This virus HAS to be ingested to get it.
-Sanitize once a week at least with diluted chlorine bleach (1part bleach to 10parts water) and frequently clean doorknobs, and toilets.
**If someone in your house has it, this is what you do (or this is what I do):
-Clean the trails. I have 3 small kids so it can get tracked throughout the house quickly. Make a mixture of chlorine bleach water, put it in a spray bottle and spray not only the spot where the vomit is, but everywhere around it because its aerosol for a few minutes so it "coats" the the surrounding objects which then gets on your hands and somehow in your mouth.
-When sitting with a vomiting person/child, tie a hand towel around your face covering your nose and mouth. (I know this sounds silly but it works) this way it has no way of entering in your body to incubate.
-Wear gloves and cover your nose and mouth while cleaning up vomit and spray that chlorine bleach mixture as you go. Wash your hands frequently and spray the hand sanitizer that kills the virus if you have some. People like me always keep track of their hands, what they've touch, and making sure it goes nowhere near their mouth, nose, eyes.
-Isolate the sick person. The flu can still be contagious 3-14 days after the last symptom....So keep your house disinfected even after the person is sick. The flu can live on surfaces for up to or after 3 weeks! Yep thats right, 3 weeks! What I suggest is to "layer clean" meaning, everyday clean as if its still going through your house by cleaning ALL surfaces with the bleach solution. Lysol can also kill the virus but is more expensive and the smell could choke a camel out. I suggest using it right after someone has vomited and kill the virus on its way down. Wash the virus infected clothes right away with bleach in the wash to help "clean the trail". If you can't right away, put the dirty clothes, bedding etc, in a grocery bag and tie it up. Use mask and gloves when removing.
-Changing runny diapers? Not a problem! When I change the infected poopy diapers I:
*Lay the child down on a towel, or even a puppy pad (that way you can throw the virus out)
*Use gloves and a mask to make EXTRA sure that you can't ingest the virus. *Grab a grocery sack and throw the dirty diaper in it along with wipes. Tie it up and throw away the virus.
*Put new diaper on and move the child to a different spot and use that handy bleach solution and spray the area you changed the diaper at and throw the towel (if you use one) in the wash.
Just think of everything you touch while dealing with the virus and keep track and continually clean and disinfect and "layer clean". If you don't put your fingers in your mouth, you can't get it. Just think if there were more people like us, the stomach bug would seize to exist. But it is alot of work but well worth it because you can get immunity to it so its better to avoid it to begin with. I hope this helps everyone!

[olschesky]

glad you've found some ways to calm your fears.....

i like the gold bond sanitizing moisture lotion......it kills noro also and it's a lotion so no more dry cracked hands....... it's my fav now.

it's true....keeping your hands away from your face and keeping them clean are your best defense for fighting noro.......if everyone in the world would pay attention we could all breathe a little easier