Norovirus Cases Are Climbing. These Are The Most Common Symptoms Doctors Are Seeing Right Now.
Norovirus Cases Are Climbing. These Are The Most Common Symptoms Doctors Are Seeing Right Now.
Jillian Wilson Thu, October 1, 2026 at 12:29 PM UTC
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It’s that time of year.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rates of norovirus, a nasty illness that causes gastrointestinal upset, are increasing throughout the United States.
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“It is the season when it increases,” said Catherine Troisi, an infectious disease epidemiologist at UTHealth Houston. “It’s around all the time, but cases typically increase ... late fall to winter, probably because people are indoors.” This allows the virus to spread more easily.
“Typically, we see it in two scenarios. The first is in outbreaks from a common exposure, such as when you hear about a lot of people on a cruise ship coming down with nausea and vomiting,” Dr. Donald Dumford, an infectious disease doctor at Cleveland Clinic, told HuffPost via email. “The second is sporadic cases, which seem to be more common in the winter months.”
The virus tends to be common in nursing homes, too, and also often happens when people eat raw oysters.
“It’s not necessarily surprising to start to see a rise at this time of year. Outside of those common source outbreaks, such as cruise ships, norovirus is also known as winter vomiting disease,” added Dumford. “We see a usual rise in cases throughout the winter months.”
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The illness seems to spread more easily in cooler temperatures, he added, “and is able to survive longer on surfaces during that period of time.”
Norovirus can cause very unpleasant symptoms.
Norovirus tends to cause nausea and vomiting, and can also cause fever and diarrhea, Dumford said.
Most people are sick for one to three days and recover fine at home, according to Troisi. (Be sure to stay hydrated if you do get sick.) It can last longer, though, and can lead to complications that require medical attention.
“If you start to get fevers, blood in your stool, then call your healthcare provider as those can be signs of a more invasive type of gastrointestinal infection that may need antibiotics,” Dumford said.
If you notice that you’re lightheaded because of dehydration from diarrhea or vomiting, you should reach out to a doctor or go to an emergency room ― “you may need IV fluids,” Dumford explained.
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Norovirus cases are on the rise throughout the country.RUSLANAS BARANAUSKAS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty ImagesThe virus is extremely contagious, but there are steps you can take to stay well.
“It is a very infectious virus,” Troisi said. “It can last on surfaces for up to two weeks, and so it spreads very easily.”
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The best way to lower your chance of getting sick is by simply washing your hands ― and washing them well. “There have been studies about proper hand washing ... a majority of people, including food handlers, do not wash their hands properly,” Troisi said.
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This doesn’t mean they aren’t washing their hands at all, but are likely not taking off their rings and washing their hands for a full 20 seconds, she said. You should wash your hands for the length of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.”
It’s also not good enough to squirt some sanitizer on your hands before sitting down for a meal. “Alcohol hand sanitizers are not effective in killing norovirus,” Dumford said.
“Hand sanitizer is great for other pathogens like the flu and COVID and other respiratory viruses, but when trying to prevent the acquisition of some gastrointestinal viruses, including norovirus, soap and water is the standard,” Dumford said.
You should wash your hands before eating, after using the restroom, after changing diapers and when caring for sick people, according to Troisi. “If you know that there are norovirus outbreaks happening in your community, then even [after] shaking hands you’d want to wash your hands,” she noted.
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If you do get sick, stay away from other people and monitor for severe symptoms.
Washing your hands and other good hygiene habits will lower your chances of getting this vomiting illness but won’t eliminate your chance of getting sick.
If you do get ill, stay away from other people. “If you have vomiting [or] diarrhea, stay home while still sick,” Dumford said. “Also make sure to wash your hands frequently with soap and water to avoid having norovirus on your hands and then contaminating any shared surfaces.”
It’s also a good idea to refrain from cooking for other people for a full two to three days after your symptoms go away, Dumford added. This will help keep those around you healthy.
Again, monitor for any red-flag symptoms such as dehydration, fevers and blood in your stool. If you notice any concerning symptoms, seek medical attention.
According to Troisi, there is a fairly new norovirus strain that’s infecting people and has been since earlier this year.
It’s impossible to know what this means for norovirus rates this winter, but “it may be that this year will be a little worse than other years with this new strain,” she said.
Kids tend to get sick with norovirus more than adults, but the illness can infect anyone, which makes proper hand hygiene and staying home when sick crucial as we head into another sick season.
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