Expert on Camera:
The “stomach bug” known as norovirus is surging in many parts of country.
On Wednesday, January 8, 2025, SciLine interviewed:
Dr. William Schaffner is a professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. See the footage and transcript from the interview below, or select ‘Contents’ on the left to skip to specific questions.
Declared interests:
Dr. Schaffner has received an honorarium from Abbott for an educational program on respiratory syncytial virus infections in adults. He receives funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for communicable disease investigations.
Introduction
[0:00:19]
WILLIAM SCHAFFNER: This is Dr. William Schaffner, I’m a professor of infectious diseases at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and I study communicable diseases, how they occur in populations, and how we can prevent them.
Interview with SciLine
What are the symptoms of a norovirus infection?
[0:00:40]
WILLIAM SCHAFFNER: Norovirus is an intestinal virus that can make you suddenly, very, very sick. It is indelicately called winter vomiting disease, and it begins suddenly, often with an explosive vomit that then repeats itself and can be associated with abdominal pain and diarrhea at the same time, along with some fever and feeling miserable for two or three days, but then everybody pretty much recovers.
How should norovirus be treated at home? Who should seek medical care at a hospital?
[0:01:18]
WILLIAM SCHAFFNER: The major problem is dehydration from all that vomiting and diarrhea. So you have to maintain a fluid intake and do this with little sips of clear liquids, because if you take too much, it’ll come right back up. Sports drinks are very good. Dehydration is the problem. The people who get into trouble are the very young and older, frail people. They may have to go to the hospital to get rehydrated with an IV, and when the occasional death occurs due to this dehydrating infection, it’s in those vulnerable populations.
Why does norovirus tend to surge during the winter, and how does this winter compare to previous years?
[0:02:06]
WILLIAM SCHAFFNER: Well, it does increase in the winter. You can get it any time of the year, but there is a seasonal increase in the winter for reasons that we’re not quite sure of. But for sure, we spend a lot of time indoors with each other in the wintertime that makes it easier for the virus to get from one place to another. All that travel over the holidays, family gatherings, parties, once again, the virus loves those. And also, the virus can survive on environmental surfaces, so that you can get a little bit of virus on your fingertips, and then when you touch your lips, you can get an infection, because it takes such a small dose of the virus to make you sick.
Are certain groups of people particularly vulnerable to catching norovirus, or experiencing a more serious case?
[0:03:00]
WILLIAM SCHAFFNER: Well, the people who are more susceptible to catching it are people who live in semi-enclosed populations, or enclosed populations, for example, nursing homes. Another is, of course, cruise ships, where people are together. It’s also called the cruise ship virus, prisons, schools, those kinds of circumstances where people are together for a long period of time. And then again, the most serious illness occurs in older, frail, immune compromised people, in the very young, where dehydration can really be more serious.
Why does norovirus spread so easily on cruise ships?
[0:03:46]
WILLIAM SCHAFFNER: There’s no doubt that cruise ship outbreaks catch the news, that’s for sure. But again, people are so close together in those circumstances, and they’re confined, really, on the ship for days and days that these outbreaks kind of run through most of the passengers. Interestingly enough, and this has never been well explained, the crew is not usually so affected.
What is the current state of research to develop a norovirus vaccine?
[0:04:22]
WILLIAM SCHAFFNER: Well, norovirus has presented some scientific challenges. It’s actually rather difficult to grow in the laboratory, and so that’s delayed the development of the vaccine. Although there are vaccines in development at the present time. Not available next year, but we’re working on them.
How can people protect themselves from contracting norovirus?
[0:04:50]
WILLIAM SCHAFFNER: The most important thing we can do to protect ourselves is good hand hygiene. We don’t want to pick up those viruses on our fingers. And the important point is that here, soap and water works the best. Those hand hygiene gels and wipes that we tend to use aren’t as effective against norovirus, so good old soap and water. Do it frequently, and that’s the best thing to do. And then, of course, avoid people who are sick.
Are there other infectious diseases going around right now?
[0:05:27]
WILLIAM SCHAFFNER: Well, norovirus is out there, along with those respiratory viruses: influenza, COVID, and RSV. They’re all perking up at the same time. It looks as though we’re having a very brisk winter viral season.
