# I have Norwalk virus **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 18, 2012, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-norwalk-virus/625542 "2012-06-18T17:12:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MickNickMaggies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/59ef9b/32.png) [@MickNickMaggies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MickNickMaggies)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-norwalk-virus/625542/21 "2012-06-19T15:16:02Z")
I once had the joy of having both parental figures suffering from food poisoning at once. The only thing that even began to mitigate the situation was the fact that there was a bidet in the rental house. Perfect for firing out both ends AND tandem puking. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-norwalk-virus/625542/22 "2012-06-19T15:23:05Z")
I walked like an Norwegian for nearly a week. It was quite embarassing. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-norwalk-virus/625542/23 "2012-06-19T18:40:30Z")
> [@MickNickMaggies](#): > > I once had the joy of having both parental figures suffering from food poisoning at once. The only thing that even began to mitigate the situation was the fact that there was a bidet in the rental house. A few years ago my wife and I both went down with a bug in Marrakesh. Fortunately I only got the effects at the southern end of my system (I haven’t thrown up in 20 years), and we were able to alternate with the single bathroom. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-norwalk-virus/625542/24 "2012-06-23T13:11:55Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Between the total body aches and pains (including hair hurting), not knowing which orifice to place over the commode first, the constant headache, and finally considering death to be a reasonable and desired resolution of my symptoms, I can hardly wait for my next bout of it. Back when I had it I sat on the toilet with a bucket in my lap. It was… not fun. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-norwalk-virus/625542/25 "2012-06-23T14:19:22Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > Yikes! I’ve never even herd of this disease. How do I NOT get it? Wash your hands well and often. You get it from coming into contact with traces of other people’s feces and sometimes vomit, which is why it’s so common on cruise ships and their slightly less than adequate hygiene capabilities. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-norwalk-virus/625542/26 "2012-06-23T16:52:26Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Wash your hands well and often. You get it from coming into contact with traces of other people’s feces and sometimes vomit, which is why it’s so common on cruise ships and their slightly less than adequate hygiene capabilities. I am a nut for washing my hands frequently [no not that frequently, my OCD is counting stuff …] mainly because I potter in the kitchen a fair amount, and don’t want to either cross contaminate foods or rub pepper juice in my eyes or private bits:eek:😃 I probably wash my hands about once an hour or so - between cooking and using crutches or a wheelchair and being an inveterate eye rubber I like to keep clean hands. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-norwalk-virus/625542/27 "2012-06-23T22:27:24Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > I am a nut for washing my hands frequently [no not that frequently, my OCD is counting stuff …] mainly because I potter in the kitchen a fair amount, and don’t want to either cross contaminate foods or rub pepper juice in my eyes or private bits:eek:😃 I probably wash my hands about once an hour or so - between cooking and using crutches or a wheelchair and being an inveterate eye rubber I like to keep clean hands. And do you get stomach/intestinal bugs very often? I wash my hands a lot, and I seem to escape those bugs when they make the rounds at work better than 95% of the time. ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-norwalk-virus/625542/28 "2012-06-23T22:59:17Z")
Oooh, I’ve had Norwalk twice. It’s brutal. A year ago March my oldest son got it, and because he’s diabetic he was in hospital three days. Got him home, and my husband, toddler, and I all succumbed in succession. It took weeks for everyone to be fully recovered. I am praying that we don’t get it again ever because now there’s four kids and two adults to get sick. Yuck. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-norwalk-virus/625542/29 "2012-06-23T23:43:14Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > And do you get stomach/intestinal bugs very often? I wash my hands a lot, and I seem to escape those bugs when they make the rounds at work better than 95% of the time. Nope, last one I had was a result of some idiot serving non cooked food made while suffering themself and apparently not washing their hands. I now dislike picnics unless I am the one making the food. But once in 10 years isn’t bad, though right now I think my gallbladder is giving it up because I am havng symptoms =( ---
**Author:** ![turner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@turner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turner)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-norwalk-virus/625542/30 "2012-06-24T15:36:51Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Wash your hands well and often. You get it from coming into contact with traces of other people’s feces and sometimes vomit, which is why it’s so common on cruise ships and their slightly less than adequate hygiene capabilities. Now it makes sense. We took a cruise a couple of weeks ago. If we left the ship, we were STRONGLY encouraged to take a squirt of hand sanitizer before re-entering the ship. Before we entered the dining room, the same was even MORE strongly suggested (one guy wouldn’t let me pass until I took a squirt). Not sure how effective these are against viruses though (wiki says effective against some viruses). ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-norwalk-virus/625542/31 "2012-06-24T20:01:56Z")
We call that “two exits, no waiting” in our house. 🆒 Not fun. Last time I got a bug, it was from the water in Bucharest. I found out later from our Romanian friends that even they won’t drink water from a tap in Bucharest! :rolleyes: Now you tell me… Luckily it was an “exit only” type of thing, but I spent two days in a “spartan” bathroom at an athletic training facility before “stopping up” long enough to get on a plane home! ---
**Author:** ![BowlOfDucks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@BowlOfDucks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BowlOfDucks)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-norwalk-virus/625542/32 "2012-06-25T07:16:47Z")
> [@turner](#): > > Now it makes sense. We took a cruise a couple of weeks ago. If we left the ship, we were STRONGLY encouraged to take a squirt of hand sanitizer before re-entering the ship. Before we entered the dining room, the same was even MORE strongly suggested (one guy wouldn’t let me pass until I took a squirt). Not sure how effective these are against viruses though (wiki says effective against some viruses). Norovirus is fairly resistant to alcohol. It will have some effect, but not as much as alcohol has against bacteria. ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-norwalk-virus/625542/33 "2013-01-18T21:33:48Z")
I have it again. ☹ A combination of dirty colleagues and shitty immune system, I guess. Except I have an exam coming up and I can’t afford to be sick! This blows. ---
**Author:** ![artemis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@artemis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/artemis)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-norwalk-virus/625542/34 "2013-01-18T21:44:42Z")
> [@antonio107](#): > > I have it again. ☹ > > A combination of dirty colleagues and shitty immune system, I guess. Except I have an exam coming up and I can’t afford to be sick! This blows. That it does. From both ends. Generally at once. Hope you’re over it soon! ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-norwalk-virus/625542/35 "2013-01-18T22:39:25Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Wash your hands well and often. You get it from coming into contact with traces of other people’s feces and sometimes vomit, which is why it’s so common on cruise ships and their slightly less than adequate hygiene capabilities. It’s actually less common on cruise ships than it is in the general (US) population but cruise ships are the only mandated reporters so everyone associates it with them. Also when an outbreak happens there’s no where to go. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-norwalk-virus/625542/36 "2013-01-18T22:50:47Z")
> [@antonio107](#): > > I have it again. ☹ > > A combination of dirty colleagues and shitty immune system, I guess. Except I have an exam coming up and I can’t afford to be sick! This blows. You might get lucky. Either I get weak strains, or my immune system just hates it, but I have never had noro last even 24 hours before it passed. ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-norwalk-virus/625542/37 "2013-01-19T05:40:07Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > You might get lucky. Either I get weak strains, or my immune system just hates it, but I have never had noro last even 24 hours before it passed. When I caught it back in the OP, the dehydration kicked my ass, and it was a full week before I started feeling better. This time, I broke out the immodium and gravol pretty quickly. All things considered, some 26 hours into it, I feel MUCH better than last time. I’m just…weak. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-norwalk-virus/625542/38 "2013-01-19T06:06:54Z")
It can’t be said enough: [Wash your hands with soap and water](http://www.cmaj.ca/content/183/12/E799.full). Hand sanitizers are not a panacea. I hope you get well soon! _on edit:_ Or, better, [this](http://xkcd.com/1161/) ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-norwalk-virus/625542/39 "2013-01-19T08:16:25Z")
The OP should get his vitamin D levels checked. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-norwalk-virus/625542/40 "2013-01-19T09:17:13Z")
and brush his teeth. Sheesh! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-norwalk-virus/625542.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-norwalk-virus/625542.md?page=3)