Although norovirus is extremely contagious, there are precautions you and your family may take in case someone in your home becomes ill. The NHS states that intimate contact with an infected individual, as well as touching contaminated surfaces or objects and then touching your lips, can spread the norovirus.

The virus can also spread through food that has been prepared or touched by an ill person. Alcohol hand gels do not eradicate the norovirus germs, which is another factor that makes it harder for families to stay healthy. Avoiding circumstances that could aid in its spread, such as close contact with potentially infected individuals or surfaces, is the first step in various attempts to combat it.

This includes bedding or surfaces that have been tainted by vomit or diarrhea from a norovirus patient. The NHS recommends washing infected clothes and linens with detergent at a hot 60 degrees Celsius and, if at all feasible, handling them with gloves.