Overview

• UKHSA reports 14,959 lab-confirmed norovirus cases between March 31 and April 27, more than twice the five-season average.
• People with vomiting or diarrhoea are advised to stay home and avoid work, school, hospitals and care homes for 48 hours after symptoms cease.
• Recent outbreaks forced partial closure of a Hampshire primary school and prompted hospital ward restrictions to curb transmission.
• Norovirus spreads rapidly through close contact, contaminated surfaces and food handled by infected individuals, remaining infectious even after symptoms end.
• Health officials recommend thorough handwashing with soap and water, disinfecting surfaces with bleach and washing contaminated laundry at 60°C to prevent spread.