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How Long Will It Take To Recover From Norovirus Infection & How Long Do The Symptoms Last?

Norovirus infection is a common stomach infection which is usually contracted by people who have a weak immune system such as elders, infants, and babies. It is caused by infectious agent Norovirus. Its exposure happens in closed and crowded areas such as schools, colleges, nursing homes, hospitals, etc. This infection occurs when a person comes in contact with the infected person through contaminated food, water, contaminated surfaces, feces, mouth via unhygienic conditions. It is represented by symptoms like sudden vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea. It goes away on its own in few days without specific treatment.

How Long Will It Take To Recover From Norovirus Infection?

Norovirus infection goes away on its own without treatment in most of the cases. It resolves within a few days. The patient recovers in three days to ten days according to the severity of the loss of fluids from the body.⁽¹⁾

Infants and babies require medical attention, as fever or vomiting may continue for a long time for a few hours. Babies may become dehydrated if they develop symptoms such as sunken eyes, lack of wet diapers, no or fewer tears while crying, and dry skin.

In toddlers and children, recovery becomes difficult in some instances if following symptoms last for more than three days-

Abdominal pain
Distension in the abdomen
Frequent diarrhea with the explosion
Severe vomiting
High fever more than 103 F
Dehydration
Blood in the stool or vomit⁽¹⁾

Recovery becomes delayed in elders and adults if they show signs of severe dehydration with blood in vomit and stool. These symptoms may last for more than three days. Symptoms of dehydration involve reduced or no sweat, little or no urine, dark urine, sunken eyes, confused mind and fast heartbeat, or breathing.⁽¹⁾

How Long Do The Symptoms Last?

The symptoms of the norovirus infection appear after the incubation of norovirus. The incubation period of this virus is one to three days. The period between the exposures to the virus to the appearance of the symptoms. The symptoms after presentation remain for one to two days, which may extend to ten days in serious condition. It may last up to 10 days in older people.⁽¹⁾

If the infection induces vomiting, then it may disappear within a day or two. But, in toddler and children, vomiting usually goes in 24 hours, but it is often followed by diarrhea for the next one to two days. Sometimes, it may extend up to 10 days. It is not considered a severe illness. Still, it becomes a serious condition for infants, toddlers, kids, and older people if it causes severe loss of fluids through dehydration and if it is not managed correctly.⁽¹⁾

Norovirus infection is a contagious infection of the stomach. It is commonly known as winter vomiting disease or stomach flu. It is not similar to the influenza flu. It is caught when a person is exposed to norovirus in a closed or crowded environment such as hospitals, daycare, cruise ships, schools, nursing homes, etc. it is transmitted from one person to another through the fecal-oral route. Any person can contract this infection through contaminated food and water, contaminated surfaces, or inhaling air droplets containing a virus or touching the mouth of an infected person. Its symptoms include sudden onset of vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea, sometimes accompanied by low-grade fever, body ache, muscular pain, and headache.⁽²⁾

Conclusion

Norovirus infection resolves in one to three days without medicine. But if it causes dehydration, then the recovery period depends on the severity of the dehydration and age of the patients. The symptoms of this infection last in one to two days after the exposure of the virus.

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How Long Will It Take To Recover From Norovirus Infection & How Long Do The Symptoms Last?