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Most people in the country right now know someone who is either just getting over or currently enduring a winter vomiting illness.
States like Ohio, Massachusetts and Texas are reporting high or rising levels of “stomach bugs,” which are medically known as many different viruses, including norovirus and gastroenteritis. A Texas middle school even had to close because of high norovirus levels.
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These highly contagious gastrointestinal illnesses cause digestive symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea, and tend to pop up more frequently during the cold months.
Here’s what to know about them and how to stay healthy as we make our way through the rest of virus season:
What is norovirus and how is it different from a ‘stomach bug’ or gastroenteritis?
“Norovirus, historically, was called the winter vomiting illness,” said Dr. Stuart Ray, a professor of medicine and infectious diseases at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Maryland. “The peak of norovirus is generally January-February in the Northern Hemisphere, and so we’re just on the tail of the usual peak.”
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The hallmark symptoms of the illness include vomiting, nausea, stom
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