Norovirus cases are rising in the US, with recent CDC data showing a sharp increase in cases compared to this time last year.
Instead of waiting until you’re curled up on the bathroom floor and frantically sending a DoorDasher to retrieve items, it might be smart to stock up on some digestive illness must-haves ahead of time.
Dr. Bruce Hirschan infectious disease specialist at Northwell Health, has shared his norovirus survival kit to pick up before it’s too late.
There are some useful things you can buy now so you can have them on hand when you get a stomach flu. Dragana Gordic – stock.adobe.com
Norovirus mainly causes severe vomiting and diarrhea, but it can also cause body aches, headaches and fever – and it only takes a small amount of exposure to get sick.
“The symptoms are intense and horrible,” Hirsch told The Post. “Norovirus is very sneaky, and the best way to deal with norovirus is to not get it in the first place.”
Unfortunately, those hand sanitizers won’t help you much against this virus — the doctor says soap and water is a better way — and people around you may still be contagious for a while after they start feeling better.
The symptoms usually come on suddenly and take one to three days to recover from — and while you’re in the middle of it, you probably don’t want to run to the store to pick up supplies.
If you’re feeling healthy now, it might be a good time to head to the store for supplies.
I have had people complain of having diarrhea and vomiting at the same time.
Dr. Bruce Hirsch
Treatment recommendations
Believe it or not, Hirsch recommends skipping medications.
“The difficult thing about norovirus is that there are no medications that help and there are no treatments other than hydration,” he said. “There is nothing I would get from the pharmacy before an illness.
“Some symptomatic treatments, such as Imodium and anti-nausea medications such as Zofran, are not typically emphasized because the symptoms are relatively short-lived,” he continued. “As awful as they are, they usually go away after one, two or so days.”
“The symptoms are intense and terrible,” said Dr. Hirsch to The Post. “Norovirus is very sneaky, and the best way to deal with norovirus is to not get it in the first place.” AP
Instead, the most important thing you can drink is an electrolyte drink – and enough of it: “The absolute priority is hydration, and Pedialyte and sports drinks like Gatorade are good to have on hand.”
To make the area safer, electrolyte drinks such as Pedialyte are also sold in tablets and powder forms that can be dissolved in water.
If it’s too late and you don’t have any, a combination of sugar and salt can work in a pinch. The doctor recommends Jell-O for sugar and broth for salt — or if you’re really desperate, sprinkle a little salt into a glass of juice.
Food you can tolerate
It’s good to have foods on hand that you can keep down once you get the hang of it, and “bland” is the name of the game.
“Our ability to digest and absorb food during and immediately after a norovirus attack is reduced by the fact that the small intestine is inflamed and not working properly, and the most difficult thing to digest under those conditions are fats,” says Hirsch.
Simple carbohydrates such as rice and pasta – without oil and butter – are the best choice. The MD also likes chicken or vegetable broth, fruit juices and cereals.
But be careful with dairy, even if you are not typically lactose intolerant; Some people suffer from an ‘acquired lactase deficiency’ for a certain period after an illness with diarrhea.
“The body will tell you what it can’t tolerate and what it wants,” he said.
A bowl and a goal
If it’s coming from both sides, it can be helpful to have a bowl in the bathroom that you can vomit into while you’re on the toilet. Getty Images/iStockphoto
The doctor says it’s important to have a “vomit and poop plan.” That is, know that you have a bathroom in which you can comfortably shop for the next two days.
But having a toilet that is all yours for the next 24 to 48 hours may not be enough if it comes from both sides.
“I’ve heard people complain that they had diarrhea and vomiting at the same time,” the doctor said. So having a bowl, container, or bucket that you can throw up in while you sit can help eliminate the need to clean up a huge mess later.
Cleaning up at the sick aisle
If you live with other people, the last thing you want is for the rest of your household to get sick as soon as you start feeling better. Enter bleach.
Hirsch says to dilute it and thoroughly clean the bathroom – and anything else you or the sick person has come into contact with.
He also noted that immunocompromised people, including the young and elderly, shed viruses for much longer, so you’ll have to clean up around them for a longer period of time.
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