Norovirus spread accelerating in run up to Christmas

[Jazzy]

Another 120,000 people have caught the norovirus winter vomiting bug over the last week, according to latest figures from the Health Protection Agency.



Already the worst start to the season for norovirus on record, the new figures suggest the outbreak is accelerating.



Two weeks ago the number of reports confirmed by laboratory analysis was 64 per cent higher than at the same stage in 2011. Now, the number of confirmed reports is 83 per cent higher.



An HPA spokesman said: “In this season to date there have been 3,046 confirmed laboratory reports of norovirus. This is 83 per cent higher than the same period in the last season when there were 1,669 cases reported.”



For every confirmed case, HPA statisticians believe that 288 go unreported. On that basis, some 877,000 people are now thought to have experienced the bug, which causes vomiting and diarrhoea, so far this season.



Experts are warning that the majority of cases usually come from January to March, suggesting the worse is yet to come.

Source



Have any of you been stricken with this bug?

 

[Evil Eye]

I don't think so... seems like the sorta thing I'd notice

You?