Norovirus spreads through clothing and furnishings, experts warn as infections rise – winter vomiting bug can linger in fabric for up to a month

Norovirus microbes can lurk silently in clothing fabric for up to a month and infect those they touch, experts warned today amid a worrying spike in infections.

Other fabric-covered objects such as chairs, sofas, cushions and even curtains can also harbor the highly contagious virus.

Figures show that the number of cases of winter vomiting disease, which can also cause diarrhea, has increased by 40 percent compared to previous years.

Experts fear further increases could put additional pressure on the already overburdened health care system, which is already battling a tidal wave of flu.

Norovirus is usually spread through close contact with someone who is infected, by touching surfaces or objects, or by eating food that someone who is infected has touched.

Health chiefs are already advising against relying solely on hand sanitisers to prevent contamination as alcohol does not kill the disease.

Instead, handwashing is recommended as a first line of defense because water helps break down the protein coat around the virus, rendering it harmless.

Now experts are urging people to wash and dry their clothes at a high temperature in a bid to stop the spread.

Jason Tetro, a microbiologist and author, told us HuffPost: ‘Your clothing is porous and is therefore essentially a solid petri dish.

‘Anything that comes into contact with your clothes will stick to them. The norovirus (can) survive for a whole month under almost all conditions.’

Laundry detergents, he added, will help kill norovirus bacteria, especially biological types that contain enzymes called lipases.

“Hot is your best friend against microbes,” Mr. Tetro said. ‘The enzymes will break down the microbes.’

He also recommended running an empty hot water cycle with bleach to clean the washer tub about once a month.

Experts at the University of Minnesota advise that cleaning surfaces touched by someone with norovirus is “a critical way to remove and destroy the virus.”

If someone has vomited on carpet or furniture, it warns not to vacuum the area before cleaning, “as this releases pathogens into the air and spreads.”

Instead, it suggests applying baking soda to the affected area before steam cleaning or disinfecting with antimicrobial products effective against norovirus.

The latest publication from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) last month also shows that the total number of norovirus reports this year (4,523) is more than double what it was five years ago (2,057).

The warning comes as the number of norovirus cases in Britain is almost double that of previous years.

According to NHS data released today, 528 hospital beds in England were filled every day last week by patients with diarrhea and vomiting or norovirus-like symptoms.

While this figure was down from the previous week’s 723, the figure is still 40 percent higher than at the same point last year and (377) and in 2022 (338).

However, the actual number of cases across the country could be even higher.

This is because the figures are based on positive laboratory reports and NHS hospitals reporting suspected and confirmed outbreaks of norovirus.

Most infected suffer from nausea, diarrhea and vomiting and recover at home.

But norovirus could increase pressure on hospitals, as infected patients must be isolated in single rooms or wards closed to new patients to limit the spread.

“It came out of nowhere,” says the former IT consultant from Reading. ‘I couldn’t get more than a few meters from the toilet before I had to run back again.

Responding to a Mail on Sunday column by GP Dr Ellie Cannon in November, readers wrote in detail about how they had been affected.

A 69-year-old woman described suffering from “the most aggressive diarrhea and illness” after babysitting her granddaughter. Another said her 29-year-old son was “completely crushed” by the virus.

Paul Pardon, 73, says he contracted the ‘unbearable’ virus after returning from holiday.

‘This went on for days. During that time I couldn’t eat everything. I also had a terrible fever and was shaking constantly.’

The majority of people do not need to talk to a doctor about a norovirus infection.

In most cases it goes away on its own.

Rest and drinking plenty of fluids are often recommended by health heads to help recovery. Paracetamol can also help with fever or aches and pains.

Rehydration drinks, such as Dioralyte, which replace both crucial salts and water, can be purchased from a pharmacist.

Parents are advised not to give soft drinks or fruit juice to children with norovirus, as this can worsen the diarrhea.

Many patients also ask doctors for antibiotics, but these do not work against viruses.

However, patients with particularly severe projectile vomiting and diarrhea can be prescribed medication against the disease by their GP.