London’s Royal Free Hospital has declared its highest operational level of alert as cases of norovirus rise across the capital. The hospital had observed a level two alert as recently as Monday. Reporters heard that the hospital has been forced to implement corridor care for patient intake as few cubicles or bays are available. The news comes amid reports that cases of norovirus, a virus that commonly spikes during winter months, have increased across the UK.
According to UKHSA, cases of norovirus between the end of January and the start of February were 17.4% higher than the two weeks prior. What’s more, the number of norovirus outbreaks reported since the start of the 2024-2025 season was 22.6% higher than a 5-season average. According to the government report, a number of factors may have led to an increase in cases such as changes in testing as well as reporting strategies.
“It is likely that multiple factors contributed to the observed increase in laboratory reports, such as ongoing changes to the epidemiology following the COVID-19 pandemic or changes in testing and reporting to national surveillance. Further work to understand the drivers of the increased reporting is underway,” the report said. Norovirus also referred to as the vomiting bug, is a common yet contagious bug that can lead to vomiting and diarrhoea, but symptoms usually subside within a few days.
Last weekend, three wards at St George's Hospital in Tooting were forced to close due to an outbreak of norovirus. To reduce the spread and protect new patients from being exposed, a number of wards were closed to admissions and transfers. At the time, healthcare professionals reminded people that regular handwashing can go a long way in limiting spread of the virus. Professor Arlene Wellman MBE, Group Chief Nurse for St George’s, Epsom and St Helier, said: “Hand sanitisers such as alcohol gel do not kill the bug – the simple act of good hand washing with soap and water can make all the difference between our beds being used to care for patients, or lying empty at a time when every bed is precious.”.
