Norovirus Is Surging Across The Country. Here Are The Symptoms To Look For, According To An Infectious Disease Doctor
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As if cold and flu season wasn't enough to deal with, there's another disease on the rise: norovirus.
Norovirus cases have jumped up across the country, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). During the week of December 5 (which is the most recent data available), there were 91 suspected or confirmed norovirus outbreaks reported to state health departments across the country. By comparison, there were just 41 suspected or confirmed outbreaks during the same week from 2021 to 2024. Basically, there’s a ton of norovirus floating around out there.
Norovirus is no joke—it can cause vomiting and diarrhea (often at the same time), making for a miserable experience. With that, it’s understandable to want to lower the odds you’ll get the virus and be aware of early signs.
Here’s what you need to know about symptoms of norovirus, plus what to do if you’re unlucky enough to get it.
Meet the expert: Infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, MD, is a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
What are the first symptoms of norovirus?
Norovirus tends to come on hard and fast. “Nausea and or vomiting are usually the first symptoms of norovirus,” says infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, MD, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
You might also have stomach pains, fever, headache, and body aches, according to the CDC.
How does norovirus spread?
Norovirus is "highly contagious" and spreads a few different ways. Those can include having direct contact with someone who has the virus, eating food or drinking liquids that are contaminated with norovirus, and touching contaminated objects or surfaces and then putting your unwashed hands in your mouth, per the Mayo Clinic.
Noroviruses can survive for up to 12 hours on hard surfaces, according to the United Kingdom's National Health Service. On contaminated carpet, the virus can last up to 12 days.
What is the best way to treat norovirus?
There is no set treatment for norovirus, and medications like antibiotics won’t do anything to help you to feel better, according to the CDC.
Instead, supportive care is best, Adalja says. That includes doing things like taking small, frequent sips of liquids to try to prevent dehydration and taking acetaminophen to help with body aches and a fever.
How long does it take to recover from norovirus?
The good news with norovirus (if there is any) is that most people tend to feel better within one to three days, per the CDC.
How long are you contagious with norovirus?
While most people get over norovirus in a few days, you can be contagious for a lot longer than that. In fact, you can still spread norovirus for up to two weeks after you feel better, according to the CDC.
How can I protect myself from the norovirus?
While norovirus is uncomfortable for everyone, Adalja says it’s particularly concerning for people who are susceptible to becoming dehydrated—“usually the very young and the very old.”
To lower the odds you’ll get sick with norovirus, he recommends doing your best to avoid people who are obviously sick and washing your hands often. That's really all you can do, Adalja says.
Unfortunately, norovirus infections can and do happen. “Norovirus is a ubiquitous virus that everyone experiences multiple times in their life,” Adalja says. The best you can do is try to avoid it.
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