Norovirus !!! came to my house

There has been a lot of public health warnings about getting your flu shot, strict hand hygiene and the Norovirus lately. In the hospital that I work in volunteers have been stopped as a precautionary measure whilst the flu season is on, which by the way doesn't end until March 31st. The kitchen facilities have also been segregated meaning ONLY staff can use them, patients and families cannot access the kitchen areas on the units for making hot drinks, getting ice or water nor to access items in the fridge. That's all well and good as long as the staff on the unit are super vigilant and themselves carryout strict hand hygiene practices.

A few people i work with have been sick since before Christmas with the flu, colds, with 2 people having the nasty Norovirus which has a rapid onset of nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, its duration is usually a few days but the person CANNOT return to there work place until there has been a 48 hour period of having no vomiting and diarrhoea. Thankfully none of the Pt's have been affected (touch wood!).

Ive had the flu last week, I'm so fatigued and its easy to get dehydrated quickly, everything was going well at home till the hubby started with aches, pains, congestion, headaches i thought ohhh no its man flu! then within minutes he had the vomiting and diarrhoea :( . immediately he was isolated to a room in the house, provided with Lysol wipes, his own towels to wipe his hands on and use of one washroom. He doesn't do being sick very well and despite my chosen profession, i don't do home nursing well either. We argued about him going to work, i told him he cant go, he cant be passing it on, its very contagious, eventually he called his boss and stayed away, i get home today to find him doing minor renovations, and looking worse for wear, he doesn't like to sit about you see has to be doing something all the time BUT he has had those nasty symptoms so hopefully he is on the mend.

So i guess the lesson is constantly wash your hands! why does there have to be a health warning for us to really take notice, how many of us wash our hands after the washroom, when prepping food, after wiping our nose or sneezing, you might be excellent at doing so but is everyone else around you or the public places you go and the things you touch? NO! so come on people WASH THOSE HANDS and if you feel unwell isolate yourself and others.