PEOPLE are being urged to stay at home for days if they catch the winter vomiting bug in new posters being displayed across health centres and high streets.
An information campaign to ensure patients know how to look after themselves and others when sickness and diarrhoea strikes has been launched.
It follows rapidly spreading outbreaks of the bug in Scotland almost a year ago which health secretary Alex Neil has frequently blamed for last winter's hospital beds crisis.
At its peak, in the New Year week of 2012, 25 hospital wards across the country were closed by norovirus - the winter vomiting bug's official name.
After reviewing the situation experts at infection surveillance agency Health Protection Scotland decided to precede this year's wave of nausea with the campaign.
It is hoped it will stop people who fall ill visiting care homes, hospitals and workplaces while there is a high chance of them spreading the infection.
Posters, which are being circulated to NHS premises and pharmacies, advise people to stay at home for 48 hours after their symptoms stop.
A new leaflet has also been prepared which gives tips on how to avoid catching the bug. These include thorough frequent hand washing, rinsing raw food well and using bleach based cleaners to wash household surfaces.
Dr Evonne Curran, infection control nurse consultant for Health Protection Scotland, said norovirus had been described as the "perfect pathogen" as very few organisms could cause infection and they spread easily when someone vomited.
She said those nearby can inhale them and they are also present in spray from the mouth, which might not be obvious to spot.
Sufferers do not develop lasting immunity to the virus, so can catch it more than once a winter.
Dr Curran said: "The virus changes every year and at present there is no vaccine so everyone should be prepared for norovirus outbreaks and take actions to reduce the risk of them spreading.
"Because these viruses spread so effectively in the community, preventing all outbreaks is impossible.
"However, we can reduce the risk of winter vomiting outbreaks in hospitals, care homes and other care settings. When they do occur, NHS boards will take every effort to limit their impact and the disruption of normal healthcare services."
She noted that while last year the norovirus season was unusual because it arrived and peaked early, the number of hospital wards closed in one week by the bug during 2009-10 was higher, at 53. So far this autumn the number of outbreaks reported has remained low.
Dr Curran said: "Every year, the NHS prepares for winter vomiting outbreaks.
"This includes staff being alert to the symptoms, isolating affected patients as appropriate and applying standard infection control precautions and special outbreak control measures.
"But it is also important that visitors and others are aware of the situation, and follow our advice."
Guidance for people suffering from the condition is to drink fluid and take painkillers for any fever, aches or pains.
Patients are also being told to stay at home, avoid cooking for others and not to enter hospitals or care homes for at least 48 hours after their symptoms have gone. Good hygiene should also been maintained after the initial sickness period.
Dr Curran said people may feel obliged to visit relatives in hospital or care, despite recently being ill, but stressed they could be putting others at risk and warned even when people were feeling better their symptoms could come back.
For more information visit www.nhsinform.co.uk or ring 0800 24 44 88.
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