Health bosses warn of second norovirus wave in Wiltshire
UKHSA say cases are rising at a time when they usually drop
Health officials in the South West are warning of a second outbreak of norovirus, with cases continuing to climb.
UKHSA (UK Health Security Agency) figures show cases aren't falling at a time when they have historically.
They're warning that people who have already had the virus this winter could be at risk again thanks to a change in the strains that are going around.
It follows the recent emergence of the GII. 17 genotype, which is accounting for almost 60% of cases.
While the GII.4 strain had been lower than expected, cases of this strain are now rapidly increasing, having almost tripled to 29% in the last three months.
It means people who have had the illness could catch it again as one strain doesn't fully protect us against the other - however we're told that there's no indication of one leading to a more severe illness than the other.
Common symptoms of norovirus include:
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• High temperature
• Abdominal pain
• Aching limbs
Impact on Hospitals
People with the illness are told to stay away from hospital's, due to the contagious nature of the virus.
Deputy Chief Nurse at Salisbury District Hospital, Fiona Hyett, told us the illness can make it tricky for the hospital to function as expected.
"The main impact is on our patient flow," she said, adding: "It often means that we'll have to close a Bay or close a ward down to admissions, discharges, transfers, so we get a block in the way that patients come through the hospital."
This block can lead to a backlog of patients in the emergency department, while also presenting a secondary impact in staff becoming unwell too.
So far this winter, Salisbury has been fortunate with only a couple of outbreaks, which have been contained, however the illness can lead to several wards being closed.
Fiona said most of us will be able to manage the illness by staying at home and staying hydrated.
"Stay at home and after 24 hours or so, usually your symptoms will have started to subside," she said.
Fiona continued: "But you are still infectious for a good 48 hours afterwards, so staying away from people, keeping yourself isolated, trying to kind of segregate yourself from your family at home are all really important things to do."
She says the young and elderly are candidates for hospital treatment as they can become dehydrated quite quickly.
We're told to ensure we're washing our hands thoroughly with soap and water, and not with hand gel.
Fiona said: "Unlike cold and flu viruses, they're norovirus, doesn't isn't cleared readily by hand gel."
She added that people should wash their hands regularly, especially before eating and keeping communal areas clean.