anybody else had this and what is it

[pinkkoala]

my sister, colleagues at work, kids next door have had this buggy thing.

bad diarrhea, vomiting and cold symptoms any ideas what thi is or how easily it is spread.

i have been keeping my dd at least 3ft away from the kids next door, is this a safe distance do you think.

i am an emetophobe.

any ideas

Some viruses are passed on by contact... touching contaminated surfaces, for example... and others are airborne. You cannot prevent your children being exposed to viruses and bacteria unless you seal them inside a bubble. What you can do, however, is strengthen their immune systems so that when they are exposed they can either repel the virus or get it over and done with quickly. You do that through good food, plenty of sleep, keeping them warm and dry, handwashing after going to the toilet or playing outside etc. You should also wipe down surfaces regularly with hot soapy water or anti-bacterial wipes.

What you should also do is have a stock of home remedies like paracetamol/calpol, diocalm/immodium and dioralyte crystals so that you can treat people quickly if symptoms emerge. Try not to pass on your fears to your children.

my dd always eats good food, fruit and veg etc, she has plenty of sleep and a nice warm house. i bleach my surfaces once a week with domestos even if people aren't ill.

i know you can't stop them getting ill but i have had my fair share of bugs/colds etc since last sept(every month she had something), think its about time we had a bit of a break, she has a cold/cough now.

Good advice from Chil... as she says, you can't really measure an exclusion zone.

But your emetophobia sounds an issue. Do you have any help with your anxiety?

Again... you can't dodge viruses unless you live in a vacuum. It's luck of the draw most of the time. However, every time you get a minor illness you and your family are building up antibodies and this should make you a little more resilient going forward.