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Norovirus is spread from person to person and through contaminated food and water.
A tenfold increase in the number of norovirus cases in Auckland preschools could be due to a change in cleaning products to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
In November, the Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) responded to 29 outbreaks of norovirus, 21 of them in early learning centers.
About 64 employees and 280 children at the centers became ill.
Dr. Jay Harrower, medical health officer, said it was a significant increase in the 2019 numbers.
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“In the same period last year, we responded to a total of nine norovirus outbreaks, and only two of them were in early learning services. As a result, six staff members and 29 assistants became ill.”
ARPHS found that some outbreak centers had been cleaning with ammonia-based products as they were being marketed as Covid-19 inactivators.
“Most of the norovirus centers have moved away from chlorine bleach for cleaning,” Harrower said.
He asked the centers to use hypochlorite products (chlorine bleach) for all cleaning and to use them regularly and thoroughly.
“It is hypochlorite or bleach that will kill norovirus on surfaces and can also prevent the spread of coronavirus. Ammonia and alcohol based solutions do not completely inactivate norovirus.”
Norovirus symptoms can include nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, headache, low-grade fever, chills, and muscle aches. Symptoms usually last two days.
Good hand hygiene (washing and drying your hands thoroughly and often) is the most important action to take to prevent the spread of the virus.
Norovirus can survive outside the body, so hard surfaces, toys, dishes, silverware, and other objects can become contaminated and make other people sick.
The virus is highly contagious, Harrower said, a child in a center with the disease could quickly spread it to many other children, staff and their families at home.
“While most people recover quickly and completely, very young children can get sick enough to need hospital care.
“It can be difficult for whānau to take time off work when they have sick children, but it is important to remind parents and caregivers that stomach bugs are highly contagious.
“It is very likely that your child infects other people and the outbreaks can cause the closure of the centers.”
Unlike early learning services, the number of norovirus outbreaks in residential care for the elderly is declining and is down from the same period last year.
ARPHS has written to the managers of all early learning services about the recent increase in outbreaks, asking them to send children home if they have diarrhea or vomiting.
Children should not return until symptoms have disappeared for at least 48 hours.
