Outbreaks of Norovirus Making The News Headlines
In the last week two outbreaks of norovirus have made the news headlines showing the importance of practicing good hygiene in high traffic shared areas.
Firstly, athletes staying at one of the team hotels for the World Championships suffered from an outbreak which led to the Botswanan sprinter Isaac Makwala being controversially banned from the 400m final.
Around 30 athletes in total were said to be affected by the bug, but an investigation carried out by The Tower Hotel, the IAAF and Public Health England showed the hotel was not the source of the illness.
Although unaffected, the British athletics team were issued with additional personal hygiene guidance including practicing good hand hygiene, to avoid contracting or spreading infections.
The second major story to break came as Australian authorities reported that at least 90 passengers on board a South Pacific-bound cruise were stricken with norovirus.
The virus was detected on the first day of the Sun Princess cruise, leading to suggestions that the illness was brought on board during embarkation in Brisbane.
Unfortunately for the Sun Princess, operated by Princess Cruises, this is the third norovirus outbreak to affect the cruise ship this year as two similar cases in February resulted in over 200 passengers in total suffering.
A deep clean is now underway before the ship departs again.
Addmaster CEO and founder Paul Morris recently delivered a presentation on how to keep travelers healthy in the tourism industry, click here to read his extended thoughts on the topic.
About Norovirus
Commonly known as the winter vomiting bug it’s often assumed that norovirus is a seasonal affliction but it can cause illnesses all year round.
Norovirus is commonly spread from person to person by touching contaminated surfaces or as a result of poor food preparation hygiene.
Shared areas like hospitals, cruise ships, schools and offices can be badly affected as the virus is incredibly contagious, able to survive outside of the body for several days and can spread quickly.
As well as deep cleaning surfaces and fabrics that are contaminated with the virus, thoroughly washing your hands after going to the toilet and before eating can help limit the spread of norovirus.
If you catch a norovirus infection, symptoms usually start to appear after about 48 hours and can last for around 3 days. During this time it’s advised that you stay hydrated and avoid contact with other people for around 48 hours after your symptoms have stopped as you might still be contagious.
How Biomaster Can Help
Extensive testing has shown Biomaster, in spray form and applied topically, to be extremely effective against norovirus and can help complement cleaning regimes in high traffic, shared areas.
Find out more about Biomaster HERE.
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