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A little known fact about noroviruses is that many household cleaners and wipes do not kill them. Clorox and Lysol disinfectant wipes claim to kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria, but this does not include noroviruses. Your best choice is to wipe the surfaces with a solution of bleach – mix between half a cup and a cup of bleach with a gallon of water – or use wipes made from health care bleaching agents, such as Clorox Healthcare bleaching germicide wipes, which are hard to find in stores, but are sold at sites like Amazon. Leave the bleach on the surface for at least five minutes, ideally 10 minutes, as it takes time to eliminate these resilient shakes. Hydrogen peroxide cleaners are another effective option.
If a family member does not go to the toilet on time, you will have to clean up even more carefully. Angela Fraser, a researcher at Clemson University who studies strategies for cleaning up vomit and stool (seriously!), Suggests you wear disposable gloves and goggles. Dr. Perencevich said that a mask for the face is also helpful because it prevents you from touching your mouth. In any case, "really concentrate on not touching your face while you're doing all this," he says.
To prevent viruses from spreading through the air while you clean, cover the liquid with paper towels or sawdust or shake it off before placing it in a container. plastic bag. Then close it with a tie and throw it away. Rub the area with soap and water, then disinfect it with one of the cleaners mentioned above.
Also, do not just clean where you seen the fluid. Dr. Fraser recommends disinfecting a 25-foot radius, including walls, table legs, and any other surface that could have inadvertently been sprayed with viruses. (The good news is that when you're done, you'll have reached your 30 minutes of exercise for the day.)
If you need to disinfect a carpet or upholstered furniture, you probably will not be able to use bleach as this will damage the color. If you have a steam cleaner, use it for five minutes at 170 degrees Fahrenheit, said Dr. Fraser. Dr. Perencevich said another option was to spray it with a hydrogen peroxide cleaner after checking that it would not cause any damage.
If clothes or washable sheets are soiled, clean them with a washing machine on a "hot" or "disinfectant" setting (ideally with half a cup of bleach, if bleaching does not damage them) or put them in a plastic bag. Quarantine them for a few days or weeks, because every time you handle dirty clothes, you risk spreading the virus, said Dr. Perencevich. Also remember to designate plates, utensils and cups specific for sick family members, as some dishwashers do not eliminate all noroviruses. And do not let sick people prepare food for someone else.
Stick to science and do what you can
Speaking of things that do not kill noroviruses: Drinking grape juice or apple cider vinegar will not keep you healthy, despite what friends might have told you. (I know, I really wanted to believe it too.) These "cures" work so-called because they alter the pH of the stomach, making it too acidic for noroviruses to develop. But "norovirus growing in the small intestine, changing the environment of the stomach will not really do you much good," said Dr. Wikswo.
If all this sounds overwhelming, I hear you. Do what you can. And there is good news: some people are naturally more resistant to noroviruses because of genetic mutations affecting the sugars on the surface of cells. People whose blood type is B or AB are also more resistant. (Of course, I'm O type.) And most of the time, noroviruses are more unpleasant than dangerous. Maybe "unpleasant" is a word too generous, but the other words I think are not worthy of being printed. I'll scream them in my toilet the next time I get sick, that's for sure.
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