A washing machine temperature of at least 60C will kill any norovirus particles (Image: Getty)
Households across the UK are being urged to boil wash their clothes and bedding in February as cases of the hit a new high.
are dealing with a rising tide of , with an average of 961 hospital beds filled by patients with diarrhoea and vomiting symptoms every day last week – up 7 per cent from 898 the week before.
Norovirus – commonly referred to as the winter vomiting bug – is linked to around 12,000 hospital admissions in the UK every year and health officials are warning that cases are “way above” what is normally seen at this time of the year and are continuing to climb.
The stomach bug causes gastroenteritis resulting in sudden, watery diarrhoea and projectile vomiting, as well as a slight fever, painful stomach cramps, headaches, and aching limbs.
It is spread very easily through contaminated food, water, and surfaces, through direct contact with an infected person, and by eating food prepared by someone with the virus, so it is important to take precautions.
It is also possible to be infected with norovirus more than once as the bug is constantly changing, which prevents the body from building up any long-term resistance, so even if you’ve already had it this winter there is still a risk you could get it again.
As such, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is urging people to be vigilant to minimise the risk of catching the bug and spreading it to others.
One key piece of advice is to wash all clothing and bedding on a boil or hot wash, at a temperature of at least 60C, as this will kill any virus particles and stop the bug being passed on.
Electronics brand Beko says you should wash your bed sheets at least once a week on a boil wash to prevent bugs from spreading. It states: “If you have sensitive skin, but your appliance does not feature a dedicated Anti-Allergy programme, your bedding should be washed on a hot/boil wash at 60 degrees to help prevent infections from persisting or spreading.”
Households are also urged not to share towels or flannels, and to disinfect surfaces or objects with a bleach-based household cleaner. Regular hand washing with soap and water is also recommended as alcohol-based hand gels don’t kill norovirus.
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The UKHSA says: “Individuals are most infectious when symptomatic, but it is possible to pass on norovirus or shed the virus, thereby contaminating surfaces, objects or even food, both before developing symptoms and after symptoms have stopped.
“Wash any contaminated clothing or bedding using detergent and at 60°C, and if possible, wear disposable gloves to handle contaminated items.
“To disinfect contaminated surfaces, use bleach-based cleaning products where possible as norovirus can survive on surfaces for days or weeks otherwise.
“Norovirus immunity is short lived and there is no cross-strain immunity, therefore it is possible to have multiple norovirus infections in a short period of time if you’re exposed to different strains.”