Norovirus cases in England’s hospitals have risen to a new high for this winter, with 950 beds filled last week with people with diarrhoea and vomiting symptoms. This was up 15% from he previous week’s figure of 823 patients and higher than the figure at this point last year, which was 898 patients. The trend means infections appear set to surpass last winter’s peak of 961 patients on wards in February.
There were 1,987 patients in hospital with flu, down from a peak last month, and 647 with Covid-19. NHS national medical director Professor Meghana Pandit said hospitals were facing “sustained pressure from viruses and other demands, but NHS staff have worked hard to tackle winter head on and it looks like this is having an impact”. She added: “The NHS prepared earlier for winter than ever before and it is reassuring to see an improvement on ambulance handover times and fewer patients in hospital with flu than in previous years — in part thanks to staff delivering half a million more vaccinations than at the same point last year.
“Seasonal viruses continue to cause disruption and take up hospital beds, with cases of the winter vomiting bug triple what they were at the start of the month.
“You can prevent the spread of norovirus by frequent handwashing with soap and water and not returning to work, school or visiting hospitals until you are 48 hours symptom-free.”
Other symptoms of the winter vomiting bug include a high temperature, headache, tummy pain and body aches and pains.
It can usually be treated at home with rest and fluids, but some patients can become more seriously unwell.
Norovirus spreads through close contact and contaminated surfaces, water or food.
Other measures that can prevent the spread of infection include washing contaminated clothes or bedding at 60C and cleaning toilets, flush handles, taps and bathroom door handles.
Meanwhile, 18.8 million flu vaccines have been delivered since the autumn and winter campaign began – around half a million more than at the same point last year.
Some 4.7 million Covid-19 vaccinations have been delivered so far this season and 2.5 million RSV vaccinations since the rollout kicked off.