Noro's "2 properties" are different from gastroenteritis! Doctors reveal the key to virus eradication: Just washing your hands frequently still poses a risk of infection
Be careful when handling children’s vomit and excrement! “Norovirus” may affect one person and the whole family
Recently, there has been a major outbreak of norovirus across Taiwan. There have been reports of patients of all ages experiencing vomiting and diarrhea and only getting better after seeking medical treatment. Dr. Zheng Hongyan, the attending pediatrician at Shuang Ho Hospital of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, reminded that norovirus can be transmitted through contact with excrement, vomitus, contaminated food or water sources. It is extremely contagious, and adults or young children may be infected. We appeal People should pay more attention to food hygiene.
A few days ago, I met a 9-year-old girl in the clinic who came to see a doctor because she vomited more than 10 times a day and was accompanied by diarrhea. The patient suffered from severe vomiting, poor eating, and even symptoms of dehydration and ketonuria. Therefore, emergency hospitalization was arranged. First, she was given Supplement water, electrolytes and glucose intravenously. The patient’s stool was tested for enteric bacteria and viral molecules (BD MAX™ Enteric Bacterial and Viral Panel) and it was found that he was infected with norovirus. He received supportive treatment and medication to relieve symptoms, and was discharged after 5 days of recovery.
I thought it was just regular gastroenteritis! Girl vomited and had diarrhea for several days before she won the bid
Dr. Zheng Hongyan said that in the above-mentioned case, after medical history inquiry, it was found that the family may have rinsed the fruit with mountain spring water during an outing, and unfortunately became infected after eating it. At first, he thought it was just ordinary gastroenteritis, but because of the severe continuous vomiting and watery symptoms of the girl, Diarrhea, coupled with decreased appetite and activity, alerted parents to something wrong before sending them to the doctor.
Dr. Zheng Hongyan emphasized that children’s body water accounts for about 70%. After being infected with acute gastroenteritis, you should pay more attention to dehydration. You can observe whether the skin elasticity decreases or the lips appear chapped. For acute gastroenteritis in children, the first step is to replenish water and electrolytes and follow a light diet. If diarrhea, vomiting and loss of appetite persist, it is recommended to seek medical treatment as soon as possible.
Noro’s “2 characteristics” are different from enterovirus! Be alert when encountering 8 major symptoms
Taiwan Centers for Disease Control recently announced that the number of visits for diarrhea in a single week recently reached 165,000, setting a new high in three years, and up to 90% of them were caused by norovirus infection. It has not slowed down since the Spring Festival holiday. According to the trend, It is estimated that the number of new infections is still at its peak, so people should pay more attention.
Taiwan Centers for Disease Control pointed out that this year (2023), nearly 140,000 people visited hospitals due to “acute diarrhea” from January 8 to January 14 alone, which is higher than the same period in 2022 and 2021. There are also reports of cluster cases in some middle schools. People infected with norovirus are sent to the hospital collectively. Taiwan Centers for Disease Control specifically reminds that people of all ages may become infected by ingesting pollutants, touching their hands, touching the mucous membranes of their mouth, nose or eyes, having close contact with patients, or even inhaling droplets in vomit and excrement. Norovirus.
Taiwan Centers for Disease Control explains that according to the latest data, the symptoms caused by norovirus infection are mainly nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps, which may also be combined with fever, chills, fatigue, headache and muscle aches. Generally speaking, vomiting symptoms are more obvious in younger children, and the symptoms usually last for 1 to 10 days, and then gradually recover. In general, viral gastroenteritis is prone to fever, diarrhea, and a smaller proportion of vomiting cases; and it is more likely to occur in infants or children. Norovirus can infect all ages.
There is no vaccine for Noro, and hand washing is useless against it! 3. Never eat food that is not cooked
Finally, Dr. Zheng Hongyan suggested that you should start by paying attention to hand hygiene, wearing a mask and disinfecting frequently, especially when it comes to eating and drinking. You should wash your hands properly after going to the toilet and before eating or preparing food. Pay attention to food hygiene when preparing dishes, handle raw and cooked food separately, and avoid eating undercooked eggs, meat or shellfish and other products, and drinking unboiled or sterilized water.
In addition, there is currently no vaccine that can prevent norovirus infection. Therefore, when taking care of infants and young children, parents should still pay more attention to the hygiene of the toilet environment at home, wash hands more often, and go less to public places and crowded places to avoid contact infection. If you are unfortunately infected and develop severe diarrhea, vomiting, or even convulsions, please seek medical attention as soon as possible without delay.
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