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Symptoms usually start 12-48 hours after being exposed to the virus. The most common symptoms of norovirus are:

• diarrhea
• vomiting
• nausea
• stomach pain

Most people with norovirus get better within 1-3 days.

There is no specific medicine to treat norovirus but if you have norovirus illness, you should drink plenty of liquids to prevent dehydration (water, soup, juice, rehydration fluids). If you have been vomiting, it is recommended that you avoid drinking anything for 1-2 hours, then begin with sips of clear liquids. Gradually increase the amount you are drinking if there is no further vomiting. Call Student Health Services if you have a prolonged fever, persistent vomiting, or persistent dizziness.

Wash your hands with soap and water after using the toilet or changing diapers, before making and eating food, and before giving yourself or someone else medicine.

The best way to wash your hands:

1. Wet hands with water and cover all parts of hands with soap.
2. Rub lathered hands together vigorously for at least 20 seconds. Be sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
3. Thoroughly rinse with water.
4. Dry hands with a clean towel.

Norovirus can be found in your vomit or stool even before you start feeling sick. The virus can stay in your stool for two weeks or more after you feel better. It’s important to continue washing your hands often during this time.

Note that the use of hand sanitizer alone is not effective against Norovirus.

More Prevention Tips

• Handle and make food safely by washing fruits and vegetables before eating them and cooking shellfish thoroughly. Routinely clean and sanitize kitchen utensils, counters, and surfaces before preparing food.
• If you’re sick, stay home and do not make food or care for others for at least two days after symptoms stop. This applies especially to students who work in restaurants, schools, day care centers, long-term care facilities, and other places where they may expose people to the virus. Please do not attend class for two days after symptoms improve. For self-reporting the need to be out of class, please complete this form to be sent directly to your professors.
• Clean and disinfect areas immediately after someone vomits or has diarrhea.

After someone vomits or has diarrhea, immediately follow these steps to clean and disinfect the area:

1. Put on rubber or disposable gloves.
2. Wipe the entire area with paper towels.
3. Disinfect the area using a diluted chlorine bleach solution (5 to 25 tablespoons of household bleach per gallon of water) or other disinfectant registered as effective against norovirus by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
4. Leave the bleach disinfectant on the affected area for at least five minutes.
5. Clean the entire area again with soap and hot water.
6. Finish by cleaning soiled laundry, taking out the trash, and washing your hands.

Wash Laundry Thoroughly

• Wearing rubber gloves, immediately wash soiled items carefully. Wash the items with detergent and hot water at the maximum available cycle length, then machine dry at the highest heat setting. Wash your hands after.