Public Health England Asks Public to Help Reduce Spread of Norovirus
According to Public Health England (PHE), norovirus outbreaks are increasing in England. The organization would like to remind the public of simple actions they can take to reduce the spread of norovirus.
The advice comes after routine surveillance has shown that the number of outbreaks caused by norovirus has increased in recent weeks, looking at the 5-week period from end of May to July 2021. The increase is especially notable in early year educational settings, and cases are returning to pre-COVID levels across all age groups and settings in England. The educational settings where outbreaks have been observed to increase are mostly in nursery and childcare facilities, with more incidents reported to PHE than would be expected during the summer. From May to July 2021, 154 outbreaks were reported, compared to approximately 53 outbreaks reported over the same time period in the previous 5 years.