Stomach bug in the house - I am a concerned about it passing thru - help me on what we can do to keep it isolated

[momee]

What is old wives tales and what is truth is foggy in my mind.

 

I'm washing hands, making kids wash hands, keep hands out of mouths, etc.

 

However, we have one old person (the other old person is the one puking!) who insists he is sleeping with the sick one so why bother (is there a knock head smiley?)!!!

 

Thanks for reaching into the bag of veggies and helping yourself after being in the room with the puking one and not bothering to wash your hands - ACKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!

 

Soooo...in my situation, how freaky can I get?  He did wash hands AFTER I sternly asked him to do so explaining I know he can't help sleeping with her but he can help spreading it to the rest of us...but it's not instinctive for them (they are NOT hand washers on a healthy day, I constantly remind EVERYone to wash before they eat a meal so you know they aren't doing it before a snack).

 

I've warned my kids upon threat of death, lol, to keep washing hands.  I'm spraying everything with Lysol once he leaves the kitchen...but...he just dumped a new bag of oranges he had in his room into our family fruit bowl - ok - it is an orange so the peel will help - but really I'm getting paranoid.  

 

We're all going to be puking soon aren't we?  I am not mean, I am not a freak normally but when you're talking about cleaning up throw up from 7 people a woman can get a bit head twitchy so give me a break :)

[JustEm]

Unortunately,my experience with stomach bugs is that you either get it or you don't. No amount of cleanliness in my house has ever kepot it from spreading beyond the first person. Luckily in my case the entire family has never all caught it. Usually at least one adult and one child remains stomach bug free or gets a very mild case.

 

I remember one stomach bug in particular when my youngest was an infant. The other 2 kids got it first. Then I got it. I was breastfeeding while puking into a trash bin while dh got dressed for the only day of work during the year that he can't miss unless a complete emergency arises. He gets home from the work event and I'm still puking and miserable. He says, " yes my stomach hurt a bit this morning and I couldn't eat breakfast but I feel fine now." I feel like I'm dying and he gets a tiny stomach ache for an hour!

[Momof3littles]

Lysol (lysol 3), bleach (not Clorox wipes), quarantine in one bathroom, take probiotics, and hope for the best.  I will cross my fingers for you.

[Katy]

Get kefir for everyone.  Drink a full bottle for adults, and a proportional amount for kids every day.  We were exposed shortly after I heard that advice, we stopped at Aldi's and bought kefir for the whole family and forced it down.  It's the first time in my life that I definitely got exposed and didn't get sick.

 

Forget the lysol.  Use 10% bleach in a bucket or spray bottle and wipe everything down.

 

Avoid using the same bathroom as everyone else.  If you all use the same bathroom, throw out the toothbrushes and put the non-sick people's on a plate next to the kitchen sink.  Stomach viruses are droplet, so when ever you can smell secretions, or whenever the toilet is flushed the virus will be in the air for a period of time.

 

Type B blood tends to be the most resistent to stomach bugs and has lower symptoms when they do get sick.

 

Type A blood is very succeptible and if exposed will be out for at least 5 days, if not a full week.

 

Don't eat spicy food.  There is nothing worse than coming down with a stomach bug when your last meal was hot.

[Erica in OR]

Don't eat spicy food.  There is nothing worse than coming down with a stomach bug when your last meal was hot.

 

When various family members came down with a stomach virus this Christmas, I analyzed meal planning from the viewpoint of how it would be coming back up. I'd also pass on acidic things like orange juice and long noodles. :)

 

Erica in OR

[countrygal]

If the one sick is old enough to understand and you have 2 bathrooms, have him quarantined to a room and have 1 bathroom the sick room and the other bathroom is the healthy bathroom. The sick and those who clean up after the sick are not allowed in the kitchen. Unfortunately, these viruses can live for weeks on surfaces (teddy bear, carpet, etc...) Bleach, bleach, bleach. Even with all that, most will likely end up sick. Don't eat much, then you won't have much to puke up.

[HSmomof2]

Bleach is your best friend as a cleaner during a stomach virus. Lysol (brand 3) also kills norovirus and is good for those surfaces that can't be bleached. Handwashing is very important. When someone here has a stomach virus, they are not allowed in the kitchen and try to limit them to one bathroom that no one else uses. I also use disposable dishes/cups/straws for the sick person. You could also reduce risk by having your family use utensils to eat rather than things they eat with their hands. As for blood type susceptibility, it's type O that is most susceptible and type B that is least. Though anyone can get it. Hope it stays limited to just one person. We did all have it once at the same time when dc were little---dd was 9 months and ds was 2. I don't even know how many times I was puked on during those few days. It was horrible.