Now schools are open again after the holidays, cases of bugs and viruses are likely to remain high.
There is no time of year when norovirus, also known as the winter vomiting bug, is completely absent – though it does tend to peak from November to April.
NHS guidance says that it causes a range of symptoms – including the fever, aches and headaches common to flu as well as the more typical digestive issues such as diarrhoea and vomiting, which have led to its nickname.
When young children catch norovirus, they often do not have adult levels of self control – so sick often ends up on surfaces and clothes, creating an unpleasant cleaning job and greater risk of passing on the disease to others in the household.
One mum, Ashley, has shared a hack to limit the mess. She said: “Coming from a mama who has a son that throws up every single time he’s sick no matter what the illness is, this is the best hack. Sharing in case you never seen this!”
In a video she published on TikTok, she wrapped a large plastic bowl with a plastic bag and paper towel and layered a final plastic bag layer on top, which will effectively contain any mess.
She wrote in the caption of the video: “Whoever came up with this bowl hack for vomiting deserves an award, thank you.”
The idea of the hack is to remove each plastic bag every time a person has been sick, simplifying the clean-up process and making it less revolting. Because only the top bag is removed, the bowl remains ready for the next use without needing additional bags.
Ashley commended the hack, and viewers didn’t hold back in the comments, sharing their thoughts on the matter. While some hailed the hack and added their own pointers – one commenter suggested: “we also add coffee grounds and at night a glow stick. coffee grounds help absorb and help with the smell” – others expressed scepticism.
“What do you do with the bags? Please tell me you’re not tying off a plastic bag with puke and throwing it in the bin, right??” one person asked.
“Why not just dump from the bucket into the toilet, rinse and repeat? ” questioned another, prompting Ashley to respond: “More sanitary this way.”
One user shared: “Nope the 1970s kids we had a designated puke bowl. when not in use it was the popcorn potato salad bowl.”
If you suspect you have the Norovirus, you are advised to stay away from work, school or nursery while you’re symptomatic and for 48 hours after your symptoms stop. This is because you can still be infectious even after you feel better.
To prevent the spread of the virus, the NHS recommends washing your hands frequently with soap and water. It’s important to note that alcohol-based hand gels are not effective against norovirus.