NOROVIRUS can linger on your clothes for up to a month, an expert has warned.
Other fabric-lined items like chairs, pillows, and curtains can also hold onto the norovirus bug.
Cases of the winter vomiting bug, which often triggers nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting, have surged by 40 per cent compared to previous years.
The stomach illness spreads through close contact with infected individuals or by touching surfaces or objects that have been contaminated.
It can also be caught by eating food someone with the virus has made or touched.
Washing hands thoroughly with water is the best line of defence against the bug.
The NHS already warn against relying on hand sanitiser alone to stop the virus, as alcohol-based sanitisers don’t kill it.
This is because it helps break down the protein shell of the virus, leaving it weak.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts also recommend washing and drying clothes in a high-heat setting.
Jason Tetro, a microbiologist and author, told HuffPost that clothing is like a “solid petri dish” because its porous fabric can trap the bug.
“Anything that comes into contact with your clothes is going to stick to [them],” he said.
“Norovirus [can] survive an entire month in pretty much any condition.”
Synthetic materials, such as polyester, hold onto the virus longer than natural ones, like cotton and wool.
This, Dr Jason explained, is because synthetic materials are made from petrochemicals, which are “very oily”.
“The microbes, which also are very oily on the outside … tend to stick around much longer…and they end up growing at a much faster rate,” he explained.
Washing detergents – specifically biological types – will help kill norovirus bacteria, he added.
But, like with hand washing hot water is your “best friend” when it comes to killing microbes, he explained.
He recommended people also run an empty hot-water cycle with bleach once a month to clean the washing machine.
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Scientists at the University of Minnesota stress that cleaning surfaces touched by someone infected with norovirus is essential to remove the virus.
If someone vomits on furniture or carpet, they recommend not vacuuming right away, as this can spread pathogens into the air.
Instead, pour some baking soda on the area before using steam cleaning or antimicrobial products designed to fight norovirus.
The latest figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show that this year, 4,523 reports of norovirus have been recorded in the UK, more than double the 2,057 cases reported five years ago.
The number of patients with norovirus-like symptoms has been rising.
NHS data revealed that last week, 528 hospital beds in England were filled each day by patients suffering from diarrhoea, vomiting, or norovirus-like symptoms.
While this is down from 723 the previous week, it still represents a 40 per cent increase compared to last year’s 377 and 2022’s 338.
Actual case numbers could be even higher since the figures only account for confirmed cases and reported outbreaks.
Source : https://www.the-sun.com/health/13228691/norovirus-spreads-via-clothes-expert-warns/
