Record number of Norovirus hospital cases in England

Data from NHS England show a record number of patients in hospital with Norovirus. Last week they were on a daily average of 1160, double the level recorded in the same period last year. This comes after an increase of 22% the week before, reaching the highest level ever recorded since 2012. More than 1% of English hospital beds are occupied by patients ill with the vomiting bug. Their presence also compels hospitals to extraordinary isolation and cleaning-up efforts, making further beds unavailable for other emergencies. Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS England’s medical director, said the situation is concerning and suggested several measures to help curb the spread of the virus, including washing hands frequently with soap and water and avoiding other people if presenting symptoms. Most people recover from Norovirus in a few days, but it can cause serious complications in vulnerable persons and young children. It spreads easily through close contact with infected persons or by eating food prepared by them. It can also stick to surfaces, resisting many household disinfectants, and therefore some of the current patients may have caught it in hospital.