Brits are being told to boil wash their clothes and bedding this February as the winter vomiting bug norovirus cases hit record levels. Hospitals in England are swamped with a surge of norovirus patients, with an average of 961 hospital beds occupied by those suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting symptoms every day last week, marking a seven per cent increase from 898 the previous week. Health chiefs have issued a stark warning as norovirus, also known as the winter vomiting bug, is causing numbers "way above" typical for this season and they're still on the rise. The highly contagious virus leads to gastroenteritis, characterised by sudden, watery diarrhoea and projectile vomiting, along with mild fever, severe stomach cramps, headaches and muscle pain.
It spreads easily through contaminated food or water, surfaces, close contact with someone who's infected, or consuming food handled by someone carrying the virus. Since the virus constantly evolves, it's possible to catch it multiple times because the body can't build long-term immunity; so even if you've been sick with it this winter, you could fall ill again. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is calling on the public to stay alert and take steps to reduce the risk of catching and transmitting the bug.
In the battle against spreading bugs, experts are dishing out some hot tips – literally. The Met Office is advising to crank up the heat when it comes to laundry, recommending all clothing and bedding be washed on a boil or hot wash at a minimum of 60C to zap any lurking virus particles dead in their tracks, reports the Express. One key piece of advice is to wash all clothing and bedding on a boil or hot wash, at a temperature of at least 60C, as this will kill any virus particles and stop the bug being passed on.
Electronics brand Beko says you should wash your bed sheets at least once a week on a boil wash to prevent bugs from spreading. It states: "If you have sensitive skin, but your appliance does not feature a dedicated Anti-Allergy programme, your bedding should be washed on a hot/boil wash at 60 degrees to help prevent infections from persisting or spreading.". Households are also urged not to share towels or flannels, and to disinfect surfaces or objects with a bleach-based household cleaner. Regular hand washing with soap and water is also recommended as alcohol-based hand gels don't kill norovirus.
The UKHSA says: "Individuals are most infectious when symptomatic, but it is possible to pass on norovirus or shed the virus, thereby contaminating surfaces, objects or even food, both before developing symptoms and after symptoms have stopped. "Wash any contaminated clothing or bedding using detergent and at 60°C, and if possible, wear disposable gloves to handle contaminated items. "To disinfect contaminated surfaces, use bleach-based cleaning products where possible as norovirus can survive on surfaces for days or weeks otherwise.
