By WMBD TV
BLOOMINGTON – The highly contagious norovirus is common during the winter season because of the many holiday gatherings.
“If you are sick, your tiny droplets of vomit or diarrhea, your fecal matter, either gets into the air and onto surfaces that people touch or it is on your hands,” said Jessice McKnight, the head of the McLean County Health Department. “You touch a surface that then spreads to someone else touching that. Or again, same thing with your hands.
“If you’re preparing food and you have that matter on your hands and other people do eat that,” she added.
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McKnight suggests washing your hands before and after you eat or prepare food and after you use the restroom. Cleaning and disinfecting commonly touched surfaces like restrooms, door knobs or shopping carts will help stop the spread of norovirus.
McKnight said there is one common item people may not consider when taking preventative measures.
“Your cell phone, just being aware of how contaminated and it is. It is a germ magnet,” she said. “So making sure that if you’re touching your cell phone, washing your hands, maybe taking an antibacterial wipe and disinfecting that, you know, once a day even and every time you touch it, you are putting germs on that.”
McKnight said to not take your cell phones into the restroom because you can still transmit the virus after washing your hands. She also said just because the vomiting and diarrhea has passed through your system it doesn’t mean you’re rid of the virus.
“This is a virus that can be spread even a few days after you start to feel better. So even if you aren’t having vomiting or diarrhea, you can still spread norovirus for a few days afterwards,” said McKnight. So, just make sure you’re being aware of staying home if you’re sick, not preparing food for other people, if you are sick or have recently been sick.”
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, norovirus is the leading cause of vomiting and diarrhea, and foodborne illness in the United States.
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