To speak with a licensed agent, call 818-570-3754 (TTY 711 M-F, 9am-5pm) or email medicare@solutionsbyavanti.com

How to Reduce the Chances of a Norovirus Infection

Posted by Nairy Ghazourian
Estimated Reading Time 1 minute 30 seconds

How to Reduce the Chances of a Norovirus Infection

When everyone was staying home and keeping their distance from one another, we witnessed a drop in norovirus (stomach virus) cases. Now that we’re socializing again, closer contact allows these yucky bugs to spread much more easily.

Norovirus is responsible for many cases of vomiting and diarrhea, sickening 20 million Americans each year. And in older people or those with less robust immune systems, norovirus can kill. About 900 Americans die of the stomach bug annually.

With norovirus on the rise, it’s important to learn how to prevent getting sick.

Wash your hands. You might be surprised at how many objects we all touch every single day. Washing your hands regularly throughout the day can prevent you from picking up the virus and spreading it around your environment. In particular, focus on hand washing each time you use the restroom, and before you prepare or eat food.

Use soap, not hand sanitizers. You might be surprised to learn that hand sanitizers actually don’t kill norovirus very well. Plain old soap and water is much more effective.

Don’t touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. Be careful about touching your eyes, nose, and mouth at any time (unless you’ve just washed your hands). This is one of the easiest ways for a virus to get into your body.

Clean surfaces regularly. Clean your most-touched surfaces regularly with a diluted bleach solution. This includes things like countertops, doorknobs, and light switches.

Wash fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables can pick up norovirus (on the surface only), so washing before consuming them is wise.

Limit contact with infected family members. Norovirus is spread through contact, so limit your interaction when a family member gets sick with a stomach bug. Use a different bathroom in the meantime, keep separate eating and drinking utensils, and clean surfaces more frequently.

And of course, if you think you’ve contracted a norovirus, remember that dehydration is the primary danger. Keep drinking water or an electrolyte solution, no matter how uncomfortable you might feel. Call your physician or head straight to the emergency room if the illness is severe or lasts for more than two days.

Nairy Ghazourian
Avanti Insurance Solutions // medicare@solutionsbyavanti.com

I am a local, licensed and trained independent insurance agent. I am certified with many top Medicare Advantage, Prescription Drug and Medicare Supplement insurance plan carriers. I represent most major companies with a Medicare contract and am qualified to answer any questions you may have.

Get Free Medicare Assistance

Friendly, licensed professionals are available to answer all of your questions. Call 818-570-3754 or complete the form below and we’d be happy to reach out to you.







      By submitting this information, you acknowledge a licensed insurance agent may contact you by phone, email, or mail to discuss Medicare Advantage Plans, Medicare Supplement Insurance, or Prescription Drug Plans.

      Close Accessibility Tools
      Accessibility Controls Reset
      Content Adjustments
      Font Size

      Default

      Line Height

      Default

      Content Scaling

      Default

      Highlight Titles
      Highlight Links
      Highlight Forms
      Align Left
      Align Center
      Align Right
      Focus Mode
      Color Adjustments
      Desaturate
      Monochrome
      Contrast

      Default

      Saturation

      Default

      Accessibility Statement

      Despite our attempts to make this website accessible for everyone, there may still be some pages or sections that are not completely accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or do not have a suitable technological solution to make them accessible. Nevertheless, we are always striving to enhance our accessibility by adding, updating, improving its options and features, and incorporating new technologies.

      We want to provide our users with the best experience possible, so we strive to support as many browsers and assistive technologies as possible.

      If you wish to contact this website's owner, please use the contact form on the website.

      Our User Interface Adjustment Options

      Font adjustments - With this tool, users can modify font size, style, letter spacing, and line height for improved alignment and readability.

      Color adjustments - Users can customize their color contrast profiles to light, dark, desaturated, and monochrome.

      Content highlighting - Users can prioritize key elements such as links, forms, and titles.

      Content focus - Users can enable focus mode to highlight the current page information based on their mouse movement.

      Close