awkward question about norovirus.

[MeganTaylor]

I was just wondering and this may be a really stupid question but why does the norovirus hit worse in the winter time. Why do people tend to get sick when there is cold in the air or snow on the ground. Also i have read that the UK gets hit really bad with norovirus in the winter time and it is getting worse and worse.. why does it hit the UK so bad.. what it is about the UK??

[LouiseR]

I think the thing about the winter is just that everyone congegrates indoors a lot more and that is when viruses spread - when people are in close contact with each other. In the summer people spend more time outside...
Personally I don't see how this causes such a big difference with rates between winter and summer...people still go to hospital in the summer and so you're still in confined spaces there, and in work offices and public transport. I guess schools are off and social events might be outside more but that's all.

I didn't know the UK was supposed to be particularly bad. A lot of people in the USA have posted over the past few months about really bad outbreaks where they are and schools being close but I haven't heard of anything like that going on over here. Never heard of anywhere shutting down because of noro, and i've not encountered anyone who has had noro this winter thankfully.

[MeganTaylor]

I have read in a book that I am reading that the UK gets hit bad every year and that schools have gone down because of noro before. the book I am reading is called.. living with emetophobia.

[summerdazies]

Last year I remember posting a thread about the question of UK vs US. I think that IF they do have a higher prevalence of norovirus it's because there are so many people in such a small land mass - in general, I'm under the impression that the UK is much more densely populated than the US (I could be wrong, though!)

As to why it hits more in the winter time? I don't think there's a consensus in the scientific community as to why people get more illnesses in general (not just noro) in the winter. A common idea is that the drier air makes at least cold viruses easier to catch (esp. since your mucus membranes in your nose are drier), as well as the fact that in the winter people tend to be inside, with less ventilation, i.e. breathing the same airspace. All of that, however, wouldn't affect the spread of noro by much. I dunno. It's a good question though!

[MeganTaylor]

Thanks for your input! I just didn't know if it had something to do with being outside during the winter.. Like playing with kids in the snow or anything.. i didn't think it did because you have to injest noro and the cold shouldn't have anything to do with it.. does noro live longer in the cold or something?

[Elski]

I live in the UK and I don't think it's particularly any worse here than the USA or anywhere else? Perhaps the author of the book you're reading is English, which is why it's making it seem like we get it worse here or something? I think the media plays a massive part in things over here too, creating a big hype about it. There'll be headlines about how a million people have come down with it this year and it's a huge epidemic, yet when you look into it, the rates are no different from any other year. To be honest, I think in winter time it hits most places pretty hard.

[kthomas629]

I agree with what everyone else has said here, it's because in wintertime we are in closer proximity to each other much more often than in the warmer months when we are able to get out of doors more often and away from each other. Viruses and bacteria also thrive in warmer conditions, think about it, your house/office building is heated in the winter, it's like an incubator. That's one reason I keep my house so cool year round and people think it's crazy, but I bet my family is healthier than most! It's why kids in school are so sick, every school keeps the heat up until it gets warm outside to stay that way! Another reason is the lack of sunlight. Vitamin D is one of the most vitamins your body needs to fight off infection and feed your immune system. That's the reason people are less sick in the spring/summer months, b/c sunlight is more plentiful and in the UK were the sunlight is even less than the southern globe, well you can imagine the effect. That's why it's a good idea to take a Vitamin D supplement in fall and winter, to keep your immune system boosted!

[Elski]

I agree, kthomas, it's actually recommended by the Dept of Health here in the UK that everyone takes a VitD supplement, especially children, as we're seeing an increase in pretty old-school afflictions such as ricketts!

[kthomas629]

As emetophobics we should all be doing things to help boost our natural immunity. There are TONS of ideas out there, one of them that I prescribe to not only for myself but for my children as well is to take probiotics. Seriously! Not only do they help keep the good bacteria in your stomach in abundance, but they help control the BAD bacteria that causes your digestive to get off track. In truth 75% of your body's immune system is linked to your digestive system, so if it is unbalanced or off, then your whole immunity will be low and cause you to catch things easily. Of course taking a multi-vitamin and extra immunity boosting supplements like Zinc, Vitamin C and Vitamin D are a plus. As well as adding in some herbal supplements like Echinacea and Elderberry are good for helping ward off the flu and colds! There are dozens of ways to help you stay healthy even in the WORST of winters!!! Google them and learn!

[kukos]

Ive heard two views which could mean different things. One is that Noro is just a word to decribe many 'bugs' much like Rhinovirus refers to many strains of cold. And its only used widely in certain countries. I know a lot of poeple from Poland who say they dont have noro there. With air travel and everything i doubt thats true but perhaps they dont refer to it with a scientific name like we didnt in the UK when I was a child.

The other opinion is that noro is ONE strain of virus that has developed recently which is much worse and much more contagious than the standard tummy bug. If this is true, maybe the UK has a climate which is perfect for the virus to multiply and mutate? Any microbiologists in?