Norovirus epidemic peak is starting to be at hand – the researcher will advise you how to prevent infection

Finnish The norovirus situation is currently calm, but the cases are on the rise, says a senior researcher Haider al-hello From the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).

According to Al-Hello, the epidemic peak is expected in March.

However, in Norovirus, the infection peak is gently and not steep, such as influenza.

There were 217 cases statistics in January this year and 328 in February.

Last year, the figures were significantly higher: in January there were 498 cases, 888 in February and 955 in March.

Registered cases are only the tip of the iceberg, as they represent about 10-20 % of all cases of disease.

Al-hell It is typical that a difficult year of the year of an easier disease is followed by a difficult year of norovirus.

This can be explained, among other things, by people's herd immunity or better protection.

This year, winter has also been milder than last year, when people may have spent more time outdoors and not indoors where diseases easily spread.

Norovirus can be infected throughout the year, but the actual epidemic season begins at the turn of October and November and is usually at its worst during January, February and March. The season lasts until May.

Norovirus Symptoms usually begin suddenly with nausea and vomiting. Symptoms of the disease also include diarrhea and abdominal pain. Sometimes rarely may include fever or muscle aches.

Noroviruses are the most in the elderly due to impaired immune system and are therefore particularly sensitive to nursing homes and nursing facilities.

Similarly, children are more susceptible to norovirus, especially in kindergartens, because there is a lot of time in close contact.

Norovirus risk groups include, in addition to immune and elderly, young children, as they dry more easily as a result of vomiting and diarrhea.

Pregnant women can also be more susceptible to serious symptoms and complications. At its worst, the virus can even be life -threatening.

There are many ways to prevent norovirus from sticking. Al-Hello tells the tips for preventing infection below.

1. Take care of good hand hygiene

Most importantly is to take care of good hand hygiene. Hands should be washed especially before cooking and eating.

Proper hand washing with water and soap kills the norovirus. Hand washing must be careful and last for at least 40 seconds.

“Wash your palms, your palms, your fingers, the nail boundaries and the nail if your nails are long. Washing for 40 seconds, the soap can affect and remove the viruses from the hands, ”says Al-Hello.

Hands are not helpful because alcohol does not kill norovirus. However, you can use your hands on your hands after careful soap washing.

2. Avoid using non -heated mussels and foreign berries

Oysters Or other mussels should not be eaten raw, says Al-Hello.

“There have been many epidemics from oysters. In raw, I do not recommend them to anyone. ”

For example, in Helsinki, news was reported late in the year For dozens of people suffering from food poisoning After eating oysters in restaurants.

Based on the samples taken from patients, the illness was caused by norovirus.

Also, foreign frozen berries should only be eaten when heated, as they are suspected to have repeatedly caused norovirus epidemics around the country.

The Food Agency recommends to heat frozen berries of foreign origin for at least five minutes at 90 degrees or cook them for two minutes.

3. The kitchen staff must be careful

Also Restaurants must be careful as norovirus can be transmitted with food. Hand hygiene is also emphasized when cooking.

Al-Hello says that the kitchen staff should stay home for another two days after healing from the virus.

After returning to work, Al-Hello recommends that the patient only prepares heated foods, as hot kills the norovirus.

In restaurants, the virus can also be transmitted through the approaches. Therefore, the hands should be washed before eating and it would be good to change the grips at regular intervals.

4. Careful cleaning kills virus from surfaces

Provided Someone in the economy develops norovirus, careful cleaning is important.

If the patient's vomiting or feces end up on the floor, it should be immediately cleaned with disposable gloves in the hands. Once the secretion is in the trash bag, it is advisable to take the bag immediately to the trash.

The contaminated surface is cleaned a couple of times with a chlorine -containing cleanser, which is allowed to work for 5 to 10 minutes. Disposable gloves will be changed after each work phase.

Also, the surfaces that the patient are touched are should be wiped with a deadly chlorine -containing cleanser. These may include faucets and door handles.

If possible, it is a good idea for a patient to use a separate toilet as other members of the same economy. The textiles he uses can be washed at least 60 degrees.