Emetophobia - my worst nightmare

[zonedout]

Ds1 goes to a school set on several different sites. Today one of the sites has been closed for deep cleaning due to norovirus wiping out hundreds of children this week. There are loads of siblings in ds1's building/class and 8 of his classmates were off today.

I am a single parent (really outing myself here!) and terrified of what feels completely inevitable right now. I was awake all night last night, waiting. Shall be doing the same again tonight.

You know, I feel like I have improved a lot with my emetophobia recently. I am no longer worried about the odd v. It's the awful, debilitating violence of noro that terrifies the life out of me.

The waiting is utter torture

Feeling v anxious today.

I heard a news report on the radio this morning about how norovirus is so much worse this year and the usual stuff about how you can pick it up from a door handle etc.

Does anyone know which parts of the country are affected at the moment? We are in Middlesex/NW London.

Also, listening to the door handle discussion got me thinking - if you generally wear gloves outside, would that help to protect you?

And can I ask my GP for an anti-emet drug just in case the worst should happen? Will he think I'm a nutcase?

Omg I would join the queue NOW to get the vaccination if it works. I don't care what it costs I will have it. My dh and dc will be forced to have it too.

Ps, went to tesco, over the tannoy I hear "first aider to the ladies toilets", see staff go past, those staff walk past me after a little whole saying "yes, it was , she's gone home sick". Now paranoid I'm gonna catch her sick even though I went nowhere near the toilets etc.

santa it feels like it follows us everywhere doesn't it

dance I don't know which part of the country is affected, but I know I like wearing gloves when I'm out in the winter as it feels a bit safer as I'm not touching stuff directly. I try to wear leather gloves as there feels like more of a barrier than wool ones which have lots of holes in so I think about the germs getting through the holes

I think the best thing is hand washing, i dont touch door handles when out unless i realy have too, i push doors open with my mum or open doors with my elbows .

The lady that was poorly in the toilet might not have been sick? she might have passed out (needing a first aider?) or she might be pregnany and feeling faint?

I'm going out today with dd1 (who is off with a bad cold) as i need to get some food shopping, dd1 will be staying in the car and i will be grabbing what i need and leaving as fast as i can.

I think noro probably hasn't got worse its just the fact that people are using anti bac and killing off the bacteria which kill noro. Anti-bac doea not kill noro, it just makes a easier surface for it to land on and multiply. A lot of shops and public loo's now use anti bac instead of good old bleach. I was pleased to go into school last week and the smell of bleach wofted under my nose . Before people started using all these hand washes and sprays noro was not as rife. Anti bac will kill the flu virus (which is why people like to use it) but not noro, i know which i would rather have.

I can't wait for the vacine, i'm guessing it will only be offered to vunrable people so we will have to pay for it (but i would happily pay a fortune for it).

And try not to panic, just think of people who work in supermarkets, old peoples homes, hospitals and doctor surgeries, i know quite a few that are never ill even though they must be in contact with noro quite a lot. Just because you can pick it up from a door handle it doesn't mean you will, it depends on your imune system and how ofter you wash your hands. (Trying to do a bit of CBT type talk here) .

MArne you are so right with the anti bac thing. I remember when DD was a baby and I made everyone wash their hands before they held her and MIL would always say 'I've just gelled my hands' and everytime I would reply 'yes but that doesn't kill viruses' and she'd at me and grudgingly wash her hands EVERY TIME!

Yes re anti bac gel, that dettol spray etc. if you read them it days 'kills 99.9% of viruses' well that's fine, but it doesn't kill the one we'd all rather not have! I'd rather a cold (not proper flu - ill for weeks) than noro.

I think the best defence is not to touch your face when out, and wash hands as soon as home. Get kids to wash hands when in from school. Once a day I use a spray of bleach on handles, banisters etc. I think this is enough, and good general hygiene practise. After all you do need a certain level of bacteria around. Also I wouldn't want my kids to develop a complex.

My ds a couple of weeks ago (we are in Kent) was spectacularly sick in 3 places and several surfaces (don't ask) as were kids in his class. Bleachy water took care of it although there is still some I can't scrape out of the floorboards and none of us caught it.

housewife I think if it says kills 99.9% of viruses thats fine?? It's just the ones that say kill bacteria then they kill bacteria don't kill viruses. Bleach can only say kills 99.9% as it kills against everything known (including noro) but they can't say kills everything as there might be things out there we don't know about that it doesn't kill IYKWIM.

Also I keep trying to tell myself all this noro in the news - it's the worst it's been in 5 years apparently for this time of year...but 5 years isn't so long, we're all alot older than that so have got through winters where it's been worse. Well, it's what I keep telling myself over and over whenever I hear it on the radio etc anyway.

The media has reported bad noro (or winter vomiting bug as they call it)for at least the last 3 winters iirc.
Is hand gel really bad?
I keep it in my bag and car for the kids...is this is bad idea?
I always get them to wash their hands after school/if we have been out anywhere...
Will use bleach from now on to clean after illness.
Where do you get halo washing powder from?

Yes bad chuck that gel out!!

It leaves a nice clean surface for noro.

Just for your info, washing does not kill it either, it just dislodges it. Bleach kills it but don't wash your hands in it :o

*washing hands doesn't kill it

Gosh I'm crap today!! That's why it's imperative to thoroughly wash your hands, not just a rinse

Bad I get halo from tescos. Regular hand gel isn't good but milton hand gel kills viruses including noro and I use this hand spray and wipes which kill noro and are gentleish on hands (well, compared to alcohol gel anyway!)

Thanks, have ordered some Milton hand gel.
Just looked online at tesco and it doesn't seem to sell halo?

maybe you have to go instore for it. I know they sell it on amazon but it works out alot more expensive to get it from there. I think I pay about £4 per bottle at tesco for it. I believe I've ordered it online from sainsburys supermarket in the past. It's one of those items that seems to disappear and reappear on online shopping randomly I think.

Back from my trip to Tesco's, several ill looking children about (one complaining of a tummy ache), i dont understand why people have to take them out when they are poorly, surely staying in for 2 days is not that hard. I think i will be doing my shopping online for the rest of the winter.

We have had a few cases here in Dorset, 5 children in dd2's class had it last week and i know a few other local schools have been deep cleaned over the past month . Over all though its not as bad as this time last year, i think the fact that most of us her have been stuck at home due to floods has helped stop it spreading. I am crossing my fingers for snow next week (apparently its going to get colder and theres a chanse of snow) and then the school will close for a couple days but being down south there is not much chance of this happening.

Keeping everything crossed for all of you that we stay bug free.

I know Marne it's so sad to see these poor kids out and about being dragged round shops when they should be at home :(

I know a couple of children have been off this week in DD's class. Trying desperately not to obsess over what could be wrong with them. (and failing miserably)

Can't help thinking DD must be next, she hasn't had a 'v' bug for 2.5 years (DS had one in the summer, so will maybe still have some partial immunity)

I found myself counting all the kids lining up in dd's class this morning. Thought a lot were off, but lots were late lining up. I do obsess over it terribly this time of year.
reastie - I have just ordered some wipes & hand stuff from that site, also got some Motilium 10 to make sure I dont run out. Just being organised does help the anxiety a bit I find.

If the worst happens & dd's are sick everywhere will a steam cleaner kill the bug? I read in the paper about a carpet being infected after 10 days or so & that freaked me out. I do have a steamer so wondering if it will help in the big clean up.

devil- dd2 hasn't been sick for 2 years, dd1 18 months, i am so sure they wont be able to avoid it this year (last year was just luck).

Roundabout- i cound dd2's class every morning and glance a eye over dd1's class, most of her class are there (all the ones off last week are now back), dd1 is off with this cold so not sure about her class but have seen most of her friends in the playground. I think a steamer would work (high tempratures or freezing temps kill bugs), i just scrub with carpet cleaner until i have almost scrubed the carpet away , last time dd1 was sick it was on lino so just cleaned with bleach and we were all ok.

Roundabout I've cleaned carpets with bleach - check the instructions as you dilute it so you don't stain the carpets (and try a hidden bit of the carpet first to check yours will be ok)

I'm pleased we dont have many carpets and the ones we do have are pale so could easily use blaech. This is one of the reasons we have laminite or lino and a fake leather sofa so can wipe it clean . Dd2 ruined our old sofa when she was 3 and had norovirus.

roundabout steam does kill it but you have to steam the affected area for at least one minute (researched ).

Noro is going around my ds1 school :(. I'm in Cardiff, seems to be in the south, do you think it's because it's been so wet as it comes from infected water to begin with like it really matters

Santa- i'm hoping the cold weather which is on its way will kill it off down south (we can only hope), it always seems to peak when its wet, it means the kids are stuck inside school during break times so are closer together for longer, its the same in the summer here, if its raining and the kids cant go out then theres usualy a D&V outbreak. I'm pleased the rain has now stopped for this week but next week not looking as good .