What is norovirus and how does it spread?

Norovirus is like a tiny sneaky guest that makes your tummy feel sick and makes you want to run to the bathroom.

Imagine you're playing with your favorite toy, and someone sneezes near it, then you touch it and put your hands in your mouth. That’s how norovirus often spreads. It's tiny, like a dust particle, and it can live on things like doorknobs, tables, or even the handle of a shopping cart.

• From person to person: If someone who is sick with norovirus coughs or sneezes near you, you might breathe in the virus.
• Through food and water: Sometimes, the virus gets into food or drinks, like when someone who’s sick prepares a sandwich for you.
• By touching things: The virus can live on surfaces, so if you touch something that has the virus on it and then touch your face, you might get sick too.

Once the virus gets inside your body, it starts working on your stomach, making you feel like you're on a rollercoaster, up, down, and sometimes even running to the bathroom!