AIBU to think there is any way I won't pass norovirus on to the rest of the house?

[SteviebunsBottrittrundle]

I have just had the worst bout of norovirus I think I've ever had. Thankfully it was short lived and I'm feeling a lot better. It started on Tuesday night and lasted till about 10:30 yesterday morning. I've been in bed since, utterly shattered but not being sick at all.

Anyway, DD was in bed when I was sick the first time and our bathroom is on a different floor to her. DH slept in the spare room on Tuesday night and last night. So far they're both fine which seems a miracle. I'm washing my hands like a demon and trying not to touch DD too much, though she's only 21 months so it's quite hard as she needs nappy changes (I did one this morning) and can't get her own drinks or anything. I stayed completely away from her and DH all day yesterday while I was actually being sick etc. He had to take emergency leave to watch DD as I was not in fit shape for anything.

So, AIBU to think there is a chance they won't catch it? DD has had tummy bugs before, but this one was such a buggar I really wouldn't want my worst enemy to catch it.

We haven't had noro for years but this summer we had d&v. Dd started it off on tuesday, then ds2 on the Sunday, ds1 on Wednesday, dh on Friday, dd again on the Sunday. But I wasn't sick at all. I had terrible tummy pains on the same day as ds1 had the bug. Dd was also sick again on Saturday night but that wasn't linked I don't think as it's been 3 weeks since we had the bug. I was manic about anti bac everything, washing hands and faces and not letting anyone kiss each other!

We have just had a very poorly household - first time ever - 7 month old DD. This thread is v helpful!. Have already bleached, washed everything I could think of within an inch of life. Sadly not fast enough to protect DM who has now gone down with it.....

My dad is a doctor - he said it is classic norovirus having spoken to my brother (who had it 24 hrs before I did) and me. Most of the 'diagnosis' of norovirus is based on symptoms though it is possible to do a stool test it is usually seen as unnecessary as it is a self limiting illness (or so I'm told by dad). So afaik it's norovirus but not 100%. Unlikely to be rotavirus as my brother and I are adults and very coincidental if we both had food poisoning as we didn't eat together or the same thing afaik.

Many doctors will use the term "norovirus" when they should be using "viral gastroenteritis".

Your Dad means that the diagnosis of viral gastroenteritis is based on symptoms alone. Norovirus is not the only cause of viral gastroenteritis in adults and it cannot be distinguished from sapovirus, astrovirus or adenovirus on the basis of symptoms. They all cause the same symptoms. You can get clues from the epidemiology, one of which is that norovirus has a higher attack rate.

In the general scheme of things, which virus you have makes no difference at all, except in the context the question you asked in the thread title. The rest of your household are more likely to escape if it isn't norovirus.

Thanks for clarifying green. I'll ask him later if that's what he meant. I'm not sure I'm going to find out specifically which virus it was, unless I display some other symptom which warrants a trip to a 'proper' doctor (not my dad on the phone). I'm definitely on the mend now though I think.

If norovirus is the most contagious though, perhaps just treating it as if it is norovirus is actually a good thing rather than guessing at something else less contagious and taking fewer precautions.

Apologies for not speaking completely acutately when I said norovirus. Viral gastroenteritis it is then, though I'm glad to read it really doesn't make any difference (except that I might be doing more disinfecting than is necessary - have I got that right)?

Anyway, I should have known a medical type thread on aibu would end up with me being corrected . I'm quite used to it with a family full of medics!

PS: so far, nobody else in the house is ill.

Yes, it was the most horrific bug I've ever had. I was sat on the bathroom floor at 3 in the morning too tired to get up and sobbing at one point. I was terrified of passing it on to my 15 month old son. I managed to avoid it by bleach spraying all the light switches, door handles, loo flush, sink, toilet and shower, washing and santising my hands and chaining my clothes regularly, people thought I was mad and obsessive but at least it worked x

Spoke to my dad. He said "almost undoubtedly norovirus" . It's not exactly his area of expertise tbf, so he may have just been generalising a bit when he called it norovirus and actually meant viral gastroenteritis. I didn't argue with him though, (as fun as it might have been to correct him on something medical ).

It was a horrible thing, whatever it was, but so far no d&v from either DH or DD thank God.

I've been bleaching like anything today. At one point I soaked my house keys and credit cards in bleach solution. Too far? Perhaps. Oh well. If it works, so be it.

I had it 18 months ago, no one else got it. I don't know how as I've never been so sick in my life and couldn't do a thorough clean for 24 hrs as I was so weak, DH is disabled so scrubbing the bathroom with bleach was a bit beyond him. I had 3 GC staying at the time and thought they would all get it. They must have very good immune systems. I just wanted to die for 12 hours.

I had the same a few months back and was still breastfeeding my daughter.
My partner and daughter both managed to swerve and I think it's because I sprayed dettol EVERYWHERE! Especially after using the bathroom. Handles, seat, flush, lid, taps, sink, you name it.... it was sprayed. I also had hand sanitiser that only I used and my other half had one for him to use. Thankfully mine lasted just 24hrs but took me over a week to feel normal again. It's the worst! Feel your pain!

Everyone still well OP?

Sorry poptart! This had fallen way down my 'threads I'm on' list. Was just coming on to update and saw your post.

DH and DD are still well and I am better now too. Meanwhile my poor great uncle (in his nineties) caught it, as did my brother's whole family, my aunt and her two young children . Bloody horrible thing it was too.

I have no idea how DD and DH escaped. Might have been all the bleaching, or maybe the fact we have a silly number of bathrooms for the people living in our house, so we could all use separate ones. Then again, maybe it's just pure luck that they didn't get it, or maybe they have had it but a much milder version. DH did feel queasy (though he has IBS, so frequently does) and DD was a bit snotty and things. The other possibility is that they will catch it yet! I hope not, but at least I feel well enough that if they caught it now I could handle caring for them. I don't honestly know what I'd have done if we'd all come down with it at once.

Hope the update is helpful to someone in the future anyway.