Norovirus is back in the UK

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I've just read a news article online that the dreaded norivirus is in the UK, for some very strange reason, during a heatwave.

If it's anything like the norovirus that hit the UK back in December, then everybody's in for some s**t (pun not intended), because the vast majority of people caught it - including me.

I'm usually immune to stomach viruses, but last Christmas I was struck down with it, and I was more ill with it than I have been with the flu. And also it made me MENTALLY ill too, because of my severely disabling anxiety and phobia of vomiting.

That virus seemed unavoidable, no matter how hygienic I was. I was working at a care home then, but I made sure to wear a mask and use gloves, and I washed my hands thoroughly a lot and was lucky enough to avoid cleaning any vomit up when the virus hit the care home.

If this norovirus is as unavoidable as the last one was, then I'm scared. I know I don't work at care homes any more, which is a big relief, but I'm still afraid of magically catching it again a mere 7 months after the last saga. When I hear that dreaded word "norovirus" I start doing drastic things like washing my hands with bleach to assure myself that my hands are germ-free.

I'm just hoping to God that the news article is BS or something. Please I don't want to suffer that ever again in my life.

I wonder...since you had it in December...that you might be immune to it now.

I've never gotten the flu twice in one year, for example.

According to Public Health England's reporting system, the number of summer Norovirus outbreaks this year isn't especially abnormal; in fact, over the last decade, only last year had fewer outbreaks at this time of year, and only by a small percentage (data here if you like graphs.). The only newspaper sites I have found it reported in are the usual sensationalist suspects, and they're all based solely on a few people on social media who had it (all the papers I found it in used exactly the same quotes - including one woman who was "local" to three different regional newspapers!). So far as I can see, the story has all the hallmarks of the media sensationalising something which is perfectly normal.

Hopefully both posters are right.

As a severe emetophobe, whenever I hear people talking about sickness bugs, I immediately think I'm going to get it, even if I'm not in contact with anyone with the virus.

I'm trying to find a forum for emetophobes so I can join and discuss it with other emetophobes. I found one but it seemed outdated, as the last post on there was posted in 2011. Do you know of any decent emetophobe sites I could join?

You fear vom but you worked in a care home? We haven't had norovirus.

Yes, that was one reason why I left. I had to get the job because I spent 5 years on jobseekers trying to get a job and nobody would hire me, the jobcentre was getting tough on me and threatening to stop my benefits if I turned down a job that I could physically do. Then a cleaning job came up in a care home and saying "I fear norovirus" isn't an excuse (according to the jobcentre). Plus I didn't really think too much about that at the time, as I was desperate to work. But the fear of sickness drove me out. I'm not there now.

I'm glad you work at a job you like better.

Whenever I hear about the barfing flu over in the UK I get scared because lots of people from the UK travel over here and bring their germs with them. Im also terrified of throwing up. I dont understand how some people dont seem to mind it.

My brother had the flu last Christmas. He had diarrhea. Luckly no one else in the family got it. When I was in the hospital today to get my medication there was a girl complaining of feeling sick. She said she felt like she wanted to puke. Yikes.

I wouldnt mind throwing up so much if I lived with my parents cause they can help me clean it up. But living alone in a shared building scares me because I may puke on the carpeted stairs. Even worse what if someone steps in it!

I hate the barfing flu!

I have a speial bucket I have saved just for barfing into. When I get sick I am going to carry it around with me everywhere. It will never leave my side. Also I will only eat canned chicken soup and orange juice throughout the duration of my sickness.