Explain norovirus contagious period to me

[Londongirl86]

Hi everyone, my child's best friends started with the norovirus today. Went around a relations house Friday night who had been ill all week with it. Poor thing! I think my friend will keep her off for 48 hours but I expect the child will be back at school Tuesday or Wednesday. I'm hoping not Tuesday as that's too soon really. Anyway if it's Wednesday and my child goes near this child it's likely going to make it's way here next isn't it? I've already made another post about this but I am making this one to understand the 48 hour rule.

I've just googled the contagious side of this bug. One site said up to 48 hours after you are contagious. Another said 3 days and another said two weeks. I understand the whole dirty hands after a poo and spreading it that way. But seeming how this child caught it 6 days after her auntie had originally started with it (and she had cleaned her house) it would seem 48 hours isn't enough in this case. Therefore when this little girl goes back to school she could be infecting half her class in time for Christmas. My child holds hands with this child and we walk home with her after school. I can't really tell my child to avoid her. They are best friends.

Will this only be contagious after 48 hours through the poo and mouth route. Or is this child still going to be contagious through her mouth (breath and saliva)? this feels like the worst news as it's really knocked my friend's sister. She caught it off her friends kids really easy.

If it does strike us by the end of the week there's a high chance we will be ill for Christmas day which is absolutely crap for our kids who are 4 and 2 next week! My youngest has never had this yet either.

You have no idea how much I want to let my child stay home.

The NHS guidelines for ANY D&V is 48 hours from LAST episode of D or V. Norovirus specifically may have a longer contagious period but this is unknown so the 48 hours should be sufficient. I feel your pain, I'm a proper sick-phobe.

She should be OK, but it would be a good time to stress to her that there's a bug going around so she needs to get into 2 habits;
dont put anything that isnt food in your mouth and
wash your hands before you eat.

Good luck!

Reading her message earlier made me think great after all the money we've spent Christmas is probably going to be miserable 😣

DH came down with norovirus last Sunday. He locked himself in the bedroom apart from regular trips to the bathroom.
I slept on the couch for 3 nights and only let the kids in the bathroom to wee and we managed to not come down with it. There was a lot of bleach, Milton fluid and dettol surface spray involved. But it seemed to work.
It was DS's birthday this week and I was convinced we wouldn't manage it. I totally get the fear as I was dreading it ruining his party but you may be lucky and either avoid the contamination or be able to limit it to just one of you and have it gone by Christmas if you are ruthless with cleaning and containment.
I however managed to come down with the flu on Friday night and missed DS's birthday anyway!
Good luck

Depends on too many variables. Fomites, secretor status, Prior exposure, even dose response.

Very young children (or the immuno-compromised) are super spreaders. They recover quickly but still shed the virus heavily due to their immature immune systems.

A healthy child age 4yrs+ who waits 48 hours after symptoms cease & practices good hygiene (washing hands, not sharing food) is unlikely to expose classmates.

Catching it at home is somewhat different because of the prolonged close exposure opportunities.

Fingers crossed because she's sending her in tomorrow and told the school it was over eating! They said in that case she's allowed back. Great

I hope she's not one of our parents!!! People like this really wind me up .

I know she's normally a responsible person who I can't fault. This side of her has shocked me. So ridiculous when she's a sahm and doesn't need to worry about getting to work etc. An extra day snuggled up would mean it was less likely to spread. She's now putting whole families at risk. She's an only child too so it's much easier for her to cope where as alot of the parents have a toddler or newborn aswel as 1-2 kids at school. so selfish x

I think my friend will keep her off for 48 hours but I expect the child will be back at school Tuesday or Wednesday

You’re not supposed to keep a child off school for 48 hours from the start of the bug, but for 48 hours after the last episode of diarrhoea or vomiting.

Make sure your friend knows that. Not that many people care. My DD’s friend’s mum sent her to school with the shits last week. “Oh, it was only once!”

Missed your update. Fuck these selfish parents who seemingly can’t bear to have their children at home with them.

That's really unfair of your friend OP. I'd be really pissed off if I were you and I'd let her know

Right before Christmas as well. Really not okay. Really selfish, what possible reason does she have to infect all the other DC when she's a sahm?

I said to her earlier they say 48 hours after it's stopped. Then she blamed it on overeating. She must know what I'm thinking as she said she rang up and they said it's fine. There really is no excuse. She's very much a keep going never give in person. She's hard on herself and never gives herself a break. I'm the other way, PJ's on snuggles and Tele. I always am over cautious with sick bugs etc. Id have mine off until Thursday personally. My partner's told me to keep mine off after tomorrow to avoid ruining christmas. It seems so unfair as my daughter is healthy and has a non uniform day she will miss. I'm dreading tomorrow guys. I feel so sad o can't protect her from it properly. But the school would never understand if I said I am not bringing her in today because her friend was poorly Sunday night.

Urgh. I feel your pain. We had this kind of bug wipe out half our office earlier this year. Went round like wildfire.

I avoided touching door handles, washed my hands every 5 minutes and avoided it, but I'm so suggestible I still felt queasy for about a week.

Even if YOU keep your child home tomorrow, she might still infect others who infect yours even closer to Christmas, so better send her in and hope she catches it really quickly. Tell her to not hold hands because her friend may carry sickness bug, and now is a good time to remind her about hand hygiene.

I work in a school, and one day before the holidays during the holiday club a grade 3 child was brought to school. She ran straight to the loo to throw up after her dad had left.
She told me she had been sick twice already that morning, just before leaving home, and while waiting for the bus. Dad still brought her in! 40 other kids to play with! When I rang him to come pick her up, he was really miffed, because she really loved the holiday club. Sorry, just had to vent.

@QuintessentialShadows Hiya. Yeah I'm going to send her in tomorrow then I might fake her being poorly the last two days. At least if she starts with it Thursday she will be okish by Saturday and if anyone else gets it hopefully by Wednesday we can all function for Christmas day. I wonder if my friend will get it. Then she might realise how easily it spreads. I dont wish it on her like that. I actually really value her friendship and I'd usually defend her. But not with this. It's just a massive shitty thing to do.

I can't believe that dad did that! Why am earth to parents do it? I'd feel so so bad for my child having to throw up in public. But I'd also be so anxious knowing they could vomit etc in public and I'd spend the whole day worried.

I've sort of told her not to hold hands etc but I won't be there to remind her unfortunately. I will sanitize her hands with sterizar before she goes in. It's supposed to barrier the hands. It claims to kill norovirus in seconds too.

Does anyone know if she will be contagious through saliva and breath? Or does it not work like that?

quintessential what exactly did the dad think was going to happen? Their child was going to miraculously stop being sick when they crossed the threshold

Poor little girl being sick in school

Ah this post reminds me of the Christmas of the sick buckets. I had TWO ill on Christmas Eve, one on each sofa with a bucket and me on the armchair. Christmas dinner was cancelled. We were upset but we laugh about it now.
I would be sorely tempted to keep my children off school if you know there is a bug about. I've done that before going on holiday before

Hiya everyone, yeah I'm going to send her in today and then keep her off for the last two days. It's a bluddy shame but in hindsight I'd rather have a nice Christmas and not have to cancel on the family travelling. If she catches it today we can hopefully fight it before Christmas. If she catches it tomorrow or Thursday we are less likely. There's a high chance she will get it today because the kids will play together.

So annoying to think her kids going to be touching all the toys and coughing and breathing around everyone. Holding hands too. It still blows my mind that parents only care for when there own is feeling better and ignore the public health guidelines of 48 hours!

I think you are over thinking this. There will be 30+ other children in the class who may or may not have been near someone who is contagious with the virus and could easily pass it on, as it could any other time of the year you are only giving it so much thought as you are friends with the mum and have insider info. Little Jimmy she's it's next to and shares pencils with maybe just as contagious you just don't know.

Norovirius sucks, it's horrible and Dds school was closed for deepcleaning this month but you simply can't protect your healthy child from everything.