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Original poster

To cancel Christmas? We're hosting, DH has Noro

144 replies

MyNameIsFartacus · 24/12/2018 06:35

We have my husband's family due to come over for full whack Christmas dinner tomorrow - hubby came down with d & v, presume norovirus, in the night - DISASTER! I know that realistically I'm going to get it too, should we just cancel now? We have a fridge full of food, booze, the whole lot, I'm so upset ☹️

OP posts:
ADastardlyThing · 24/12/2018 07:34

I'd discuss it with everyone and involve them in coming up with a solution. When this happened with dp's family one new year we all decided to go still and ill person was shut away, house was dettoled within an inch of its life and we were all fine and bizarrely dp's had ita few times over the years and me or the kids have managed to avoid it with over the top good hygiene

IJustLostTheGame · 24/12/2018 07:36

Unless you have an en suite, cancel.

HeadsDownThumbsUpEveryone · 24/12/2018 07:37

I'm wondering if it is Noro or if it is just an upset stomach? Has he been in contact with someone with Noro or is it doing the rounds where you live? If you're confident it is definitely Noro then you need to cancel.

I would inform all the guests that he is unwell and see if it can be arranged to pass on the food. If it is Noro then you will catch it, no matter how stringent you are with hygiene. There is also no way either of you will want to eat any of the food so its probably better it is given to relatives than going to waste.

Sexnotgender · 24/12/2018 07:38

I’ll add to the chorus of cancel.

My experience is with rotavirus rather than norovirus but it’s sooo easy to spread. My daughter caught it in hospital and gave it to literally everyone who came within about 30 feet of her, it was utterly hideous.

IceLemonGin · 24/12/2018 07:38

The only thing that kills noro is bleach as it's a virus not bacteria so dettoling the house wouldn't help. I'd cancel, we all had noro over Christmas a few years ago and it was grim. Hope you swerve it.

Haworthia · 24/12/2018 07:40

One year my grandparents arrived at my cousin’s house for Christmas on Christmas Eve. They’d all had norovirus and had stopped vomiting the day before. Guess what? Nan still caught it.

You 100% need to cancel.

Rememberallball · 24/12/2018 07:41

Cancel now; apologise and say you hate to do it but the family house is now quarantined until the 27th at the earliest unless no one else goes down but, if they do, then 48 hours after last episode. Say you will host on New Years Day if you’re all clear and well again.

If you’ve a good relationship with the in laws they’ll understand - and have a chance to get bits and pieces in today!!

crispysausagerolls · 24/12/2018 07:41

Depends on your set up! If you have an en suite you should be able to contain it and bleach everything to within and inch of its life/DP stays in room. Plus sometimes it only lasts 12-24 hours. However, do warn guests! I’ve had it twice and no one caught it.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 24/12/2018 07:43

If I was invited to yours I’d be more pissed off that you didn’t tell me you were sick than had you cancelled.
Someone on another thread, same issue, gave the food to the family to host in their absence....something you would do?

TickledOnion · 24/12/2018 07:45

Could someone else just using the food you have bought. You’d have to leave your DH at home but at least the food won’t go to waste.

ForAMinuteThere · 24/12/2018 07:45

Another cancel. No-one wants noro for a Christmas present do they?

TickledOnion · 24/12/2018 07:46

That should say can someone else host.

KitKat1985 · 24/12/2018 07:47

I'd let them know asap that you need to cancel so they have a chance to get some food in. Can you freeze as much as you can and have a belated Christmas dinner later in the week when you are norovirus free? Or make it a New Years thing instead?

TheVanguardSix · 24/12/2018 07:47

The problem with noro and gastro bugs in general is that they stay on surfaces for about two weeks. So even if your DH is quarantined, the bathroom he's using will be full of noro. Anyone using the loo he's used will be exposed. Door knobs, remote controls, any thing or surface he's been touching is a potential noro spreader. It's an exceptionally resistant, smart and tenacious virus. So when I hear someone has had noro or a gastro bug of any kind, I don't want to even be in a room they were in the day before.

If I were you, I'd be 'boiling water and bleaching' surfaces and focusing on trying to dismember this virus within your household. Reduce spread. Do not invite a soul over. People will totally understand.

It is what it is, OP. And it happens to us all. We've had our noro Christmases in the past. I really feel for you and your DH. I hope you don't get it. But try not to worry about it and just focus on getting your household back to a healthy state.

LittleAlbatross · 24/12/2018 07:47

I wouldn't necessarily cancel, but I'd tell everyone exactly what the deal is and then let them decide if they want to come or not.

EtVoilaBrexit · 24/12/2018 07:48

Tell family and explain.
Then let them choose what they want to do.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 24/12/2018 07:50

One of the reasons it spreads so much is those in denial that it could be noro or another contagious bug. FWIW, E. coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter can also be contagious.

I'm really sorry op. It's totally rotten. I hope that your dh recovers soon and that no one else goes down with it,

MerdedeBrexit · 24/12/2018 07:51

People saying don't cancel seem to be ignoring the fact that by this time tomorrow, the OP may have the bug herself and be unable to host, anyway!

fleshmarketclose · 24/12/2018 07:51

If I was invited and you told me that your dh had norovirus I would cancel myself because surely nobody wants to run the risk? Tell his family now so that they can get food in and rearrange for next week.

ILovePierceBrosnan · 24/12/2018 07:54

We had it one Christmas. Only one family member was affected but the house stunk of bleach for days...

I’d make sure you soapily walk door handles and every surface that could be touched. Leave some of your food on the doorstep for family to collect? (Obviously with their agreement!)

I’d be delighted you’d cancelled rather than let me come and riskit.

ILovePierceBrosnan · 24/12/2018 07:54

Omg spell check is driving me mad. Wash not walk.

nzeire · 24/12/2018 07:55

Get one of the family to pick up all the food and booze and do at theirs. Such a shame, but surely they’ll all nuckinand help. Don’t try and freeze and save everything, make it easy for them xxx

HeadsDownThumbsUpEveryone · 24/12/2018 07:58

I’d be delighted you’d cancelled rather than let me come and risk it.

I think this is the sign of a truly good host. You need to put your guests first. Yes you're disappointed to be missing out but Noro is bloody horrible, no guest will thank you for soldiering on and hosting with a highly contagious illness.

At least by cancelling so early even if you cannot redistribute the food they can at least get themselves something t eat for tomorrow. Leaving it until later to decide is pretty selfish as its taking away their chance to sort out what they might need.

ZenNudist · 24/12/2018 08:01

Definitely cancel it so contagious it's just not worth it's for your guests to get ill.

I remember the Christmas my Dad turned up with norovirus at my in-laws. He was actually quietly ill throughout the day and kept it to himself. But then one by one we all felt ill. MIL started on the evening of Boxing Day. DH and I went home and got ill the day after. We were wiped out till New Year. Back at my in-laws my Father-in-Law and brother-in-law both went down with it at the same time. I think the only person who escaped getting ill was my mum.

Wash all towels. Get the antibac spray out. Get everyone washing hands constantly with antibac handwash. It might not be a foregone conclusion that you all go down. Remind the kids not to stick hands in mouth. Be extra careful with food prep. Keep your distance from dh.

If it is noro you will be knocked out for a week. Good luck keeping it at bay.

chemenger · 24/12/2018 08:02

I suspect that my mil has come to us with either the start or the end of a stomach bug. If so, my DH is bound to get it because he specialises in being ill for holidays, it’s a standing joke to guess how much of any holiday he will spend in bed. And we fly long haul on the 28th.