Two wards at Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre which were closed to new patients after a Norovirus outbreak have re-opened.
Both were re-opened to new patients on Tuesday (March 21) after being closed to admissions to halt the spread of the virus.
Norovirus is very common at this time of year and outbreaks of the virus have been reported in Notts hospitals in the past.
A spokesman for Public Health England said: “Outbreaks are common in semi-enclosed environments such as hospitals, nursing homes, schools and cruise ships and can also occur in restaurants and hotels.
“The virus is usually mild and lasts for 1 to 2 days. Symptoms include vomiting, projectile vomiting, diarhorrea and fever. Most people make a full recovery within a couple of days but it can be dangerous for the very young and elderly people.”
Nationally there are currently a lower than average number of cases compared to the previous five years overall.
But the number of cases confirmed by lab tests is currently higher than last year’s national outbreak.
But the condition is highly contagious and is the most frequent cause of infectious gastroenteritis in England and Wales.
Advice from Nottingham University Hospitals Trust, which runs the QMC and City Hospitals, states people should avoid visiting hospitals if you are suffering with vomiting or diarrhoea and as a precaution they are asking relatives not to visit infected wards unless absolutely necessary.
