Bioquell publishes norovirus information tools

Published: 12-Dec-2014

Downloads provide information on sickness bug and how to prevent spread through hospitals


Norovirus season is upon us and Bioquell has issued tools to help combat the spread.

The two documents are now available to download from the company’s website. The first one is an application sheet that gives useful information as to how to arrest this annual outbreak. The second is an educational infographic with facts about the virus, its impact, and the ways to tackle it.

Norovirus, or the diarrhoea and vomiting (D&V) bug, is a highly-contagious winter scourge for which there is no treatment. Most cases recover after a few days, but it spreads very easily through contact as it can survive for several days on contaminated surfaces. One gram of faeces from an infected individual contains enough norovirus to infect more than the entire human population.

The virus is known to cost the NHS £100m a year because of bed blocking, ward closures and staff sickness. As an example, 24 November 2014, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, had to close a 34-bed ward for a week because of a norovirus outbreak. The virus usually strikes from October to April when temperatures are at their lowest. As the number of cases will rise, it is important to make sure that hospitals are ready to cope with the outbreak and to contain the spread as much as possible.

Bioquell has published and circulated this material to encourage hygiene, isolation and enhanced disinfection.

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