Category Archives: norovirus

Yes, Some People Get Norovirus Worse Than Others. This Could Be Why

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Norovirus is one of those nasty winter bugs that just does not relent.

It can survive even the most potent of hand gels, as well as freezing temperatures, and it takes as few as 10 viral particles to make you sick.

So it’s no wonder really that so many people in the UK get struck down, and even end up hospitalised, with the illness each year.

The bug, which is characterised mainly by violent bouts of vomiting and diarrhoea, typically goes away in 48 hours.

But those two days can seem like a lifetime when you’re firmly glued to the loo.

Why do some people get norovirus worse than others?

If you’re sat there smugly thinking you haven’t been bitten by the noro-bug this year, there might be a reason why.

According to Professor Patricia Foster, an expert in biology at Indiana University Bloomington, your blood type as well as whether you make a certain antigen in your body, could influence your vulnerability to the winter illness.

She explained that people with the B blood type tend to be more resistant to the bug, while those with A, AB and O blood types are more likely to become ill.

And here’s where things get a little complicated.

Prof Foster previously explained that a person’s blood type – whether A, B, AB or O – is “dictated by genes that determine which kinds of molecules, called oligosaccharides, are found on the surface of your red blood cells”.

These oligosaccharides are made up of sugars that are linked together. They attach to red blood cells – a bit like little koala bears – and can also be found in the cells that line your small intestine.

Now norovirus and some other viruses love these oligosaccharides because they can easily attach to them and then infect you via the intestine (cue: lovely gastro symptoms).

And a lot of norovirus strains need one oligosaccharide in particular, known as the H1-antigen, to hop on board.

Now some people – about 20% of the European-derived population, Prof Foster suggested – don’t make the H1-antigen in their intestinal cells. And, as a result, they are less likely to get sick from norovirus.

And for a similar reason, those with the B blood type tend to be more resistant because, as the BBC reported, fewer strains of norovirus have evolved to attach to their oligosaccharides.

Whew. The more you know…

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The Crucial Norovirus Symptoms You Should Look Out For This Winter

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According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), cases of norovirus have continued to rise as the chillier months have set in.

In a statement shared with HuffPost UK, the UKHSA says: “Since the start of the 2024/2025 season, the number of norovirus outbreaks reported in hospital settings was 10% higher than the five-season average.”

While the agency assures that there is no indication that this leads to more severe illness, it’s essential that you take the steps to prevent and treat norovirus, should you come into contact with it.

Amy Douglas, epidemiologist at UKHSA says: “The half-term school break is likely to have interrupted the upward trend we’ve been seeing recently in norovirus levels, but cases are likely to rise again as we head towards Christmas.

“To help reduce the spread of norovirus you can take steps to avoid passing the infection on. If you have diarrhoea and vomiting, do not return to work, school or nursery until 48 hours after your symptoms have stopped and don’t prepare food for others in that time either. If you are unwell, avoid visiting people in hospitals and care homes to prevent passing on the infection in these settings.”

Douglas adds that washing your hands with soap and warm water, as well as using bleach-based products to clean surfaces will also stop infections from spreading.

She also says: “Alcohol gels do not kill norovirus so don’t rely on these alone.”

Many people have associated norovirus with Kawasaki Disease, Douglas urges: “It isn’t accurate to refer to [this norovirus strain] as ‘Kawasaki’ and this term is causing confusion with Kawasaki Disease, which is an unrelated disease.”

Symptoms of norovirus

Symptoms often include nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.

However, some patients also report a high temperature, abdominal pain and aching limbs.

Norovirus infections can cause dehydration, especially in vulnerable groups such as young children and older or immunocompromised people, so if you do get ill it is important to drink plenty of fluids during that time.

The NHS advises that you should call 999 or go to A&E if you experience any of the following:

  • vomiting blood or vomit that looks like ground coffee
  • green vomit (adults)
  • yellow-green or green vomit (children)
  • thinking you may have swallowed something poisonous
  • a stiff neck and pain when looking at bright lights
  • a sudden, severe headache or stomach ache
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