5 Disturbing Facts I Wish I Didn’t Know About Norovirus

“Jake threw up all over the playground today!” my 9-year-old announced when he got home from school, scrunching his face in disgust. “Gross!”

Those are the last words any parent wants to hear. While my son finds it funny and a bit gross, I instantly feel a wave of dread. If one kid has hurled, it’s only a matter of time before my little one joins the ranks. I quickly checked my schedule for upcoming events, made sure I had a clean bucket under the sink, and stocked up on towels from the linen closet.

These towels would be for my 3-year-old, who hasn’t quite mastered the art of aiming for the bucket yet. You see, I’m trying to be proactive. Once one child gets sick, the domino effect usually follows—next it’s my husband, and then me, because let’s face it: moms are always the last to fall ill (a cruel twist of fate).

I despise vomit. Seriously, give me a nasty cold or a cough over the wretched norovirus any day. Sure, I might be overreacting, and maybe there’s not a full-blown outbreak at my son’s school, but I’ve learned from experience that when one or two kids catch the vomiting bug, it spreads like wildfire.

I’m no doctor, but I’ve definitely become a self-taught expert on germs and sickness, mostly out of necessity. The more I discover about this stomach flu, the more horrified I become. It’s as if these germs are plotting against us long before they even enter our systems. Here are five disgusting truths about norovirus that I wish I could unlearn:

1. You Can Get It by Ingesting Vomit or Feces

Yes, you read that right. To catch norovirus, you actually have to ingest the vomit or poop of someone infected. While nobody willingly consumes this stuff, a tiny droplet is all it takes. And we all know how well kids wash their hands, right? This gross fact serves as a reminder that you might be ingesting microscopic amounts of someone’s waste daily.

2. It Can Survive on Surfaces for Up to Two Weeks

These nasty little viruses are determined to make you sick. They linger for days (or even weeks) on doorknobs, countertops, and especially on toilets and sinks, just waiting to wreak havoc. After cleaning up post-vomiting, I thought I’d eradicated the germs, only to find my other child falling ill days later. Clearly, I missed some spots, and those little buggers stuck around.

3. Fewer Than 100 Particles Can Make You Sick, and One Vomit Session Contains BILLIONS

Yuck! This is another reason norovirus spreads so easily: one careless drop of someone’s vomit or feces can be enough to make you sick.

4. Most Cleaners Won’t Kill It

Think you can simply spray some disinfectant and call it a day? Think again. Most household cleaners won’t touch these resilient viruses. Only chlorine bleach has been proven effective against them.

5. It Stays in Your Poop for Days After You Stop Vomiting

While it may vary from person to person, even after you’ve stopped throwing up, norovirus can still linger in your stool. One of my biggest parenting blunders arose from this fact. My toddler had been sick but hadn’t thrown up in days, so I invited over a friend. My son still had some loose stools, but I thought nothing of it. Two days later, his friend was sick as a dog. I felt awful and now avoid anyone who has been sick for at least a week.

The silver lining? Most cases of norovirus are awful but brief. This is particularly true as kids grow older (vomiting babies and toddlers can dehydrate quickly, which is scary). So, while catching it is a nightmare, it usually only lasts a day or two, after which life returns to normal.

So there you have it—my unfortunate education on norovirus. For more on parenting during tough times, check out our post on home insemination kits, which can offer some relief amidst the chaos of parenting.

Summary:

Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that spreads through ingesting tiny amounts of vomit or feces. It can survive on surfaces for weeks, requires only a few particles to infect, and is resistant to most cleaners. Even after symptoms subside, the virus may linger in stool, posing risks to others. While catching it is a distressing experience, cases are often short-lived.