The name itself might cause you to retch a bit.
A common but highly unpleasant illness, which has apparently started to be called “Winter Vomiting Disease” in social media as well as national news headlines, is spreading rapidly in the state. (Before you get angry about the weird name, even the California Department of Public Health uses that term.)
The illness is norovirus. And California officials warn that our state is already shaping up for an especially bad season.
Across the country, scientists are warning about an early norovirus wave. Axios reports that cases of norovirus have roughly doubled over the past few weeks, after last December already set a record nationwide for test positivity at close to 25 percent.
And more locally, the spike appears even more pronounced. Up to the minute California-specific data from wastewater surveillance shows a significant, pre-holiday spike is currently underway, with cases spiking even higher in several NorCal regions, like Gilroy, than they are state-wide.
CentralSan in the Bay Area where the Bay Area Telegraph is based doesn’t appear to track norovirus, or at least hasn’t reported data. But across the state, cases appear to be rising substantially.
How “winter vomiting disease” spreads in everyday life
Norovirus spreads incredibly easily. Health agencies in California and Santa Clara County highlight a few key routes:
- Person-to-person contact — caring for or being close to someone who is sick.
- Contaminated food and water — especially items that are handled but not cooked again, like salads, fruit platters, or raw shellfish.
- Surfaces and objects — touching a bathroom handle, desk, or toy that has tiny amounts of virus on it, then touching your mouth.
CDPH says that symptoms include diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps, and of course the namesake one–vomiting!
“Symptoms of norovirus infection usually start 12 to 48 hours (about 1–2 days) after a person has come in contact with norovirus,” CDPH says.
“Symptoms usually last 1 to 3 days. A person is most contagious (able to spread germs) as soon as they start feeling sick until a few days after symptoms stop. However, a person who was sick with norovirus may still be contagious for two weeks or longer after feeling better.”
CDPH says not to go to work or school if you think you might have norovirus, as it’s “very contagious” (if a government agency italicizes something, you know it’s bad.)
About 900 people die from norovirus each year, so it’s no joke. CDPH says most infections clear on their own, but dehydration is a big concern, especially for the elderly. You can read more about norovirus and how to prevent and treat it on their website: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Norovirus.aspx
Wash your hands, stay home if you’re stick, and try not to let this nasty little bug ruin your holidays!
