How to manage Norovirus infection?

Question

Hello doctor,

My five-year-old daughter has norovirus and has been experiencing vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps for the past 24 hours. She has been finding it difficult to stay hydrated, and I am worried about dehydration. What warning signs should we look for, that might require hospitalization? How long does norovirus typically last in young children, and when can she safely return to school? What hygiene measures can we take at home to prevent other family members from getting sick?

Kindly help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I read your query and can understand your concern.

Symptoms like vomiting along with multiple episodes of loose stools and abdominal pain could be due to bacterial or viral gastrointestinal infection.

Some of the complications of gastrointestinal infection are dehydration, lethargy, etc.

Dehydration could be serious if water intake is not maintained.

Signs of severe dehydration include:

Lethargy or less activity than usual.
Pale and sunken eyes.
Cold hands or feet.
Faster breathing and heart rate.
Irritability, drowsiness, or confusion.
Dark yellow pee or less frequent urination.
Reduced skin elasticity.

If any of these signs are seen, please take your daughter to emergency. If after maintaining hydration, she feels better you can wait then.

As you are saying about norovirus, you can confirm with the stool examination.

I suggest you do the following tests. These include:

Complete blood count.
Stool examination if symptoms persist.

I advise you to do the following:

Oral rehydration solution (ORS) to prevent dehydration.
Antibiotics or antivirals can be given after confirmation of bacterial or viral origin of gastrointestinal (GI) tract infection.

The preventive measures to be followed include:

Maintaining adequate hygiene like hand washing, properly cooking the meat and vegetables, and cleaning the food properly before cooking.

Kindly consult a specialist doctor, talk with them, and take medications with their consent.

I hope this helps.

Thank you.