Norovirus is spreading via clothes and soft-furnishings, experts warn as infections surge – winter vomiting bug can linger in fabric for a month

Norovirus microbes can silently lurk in clothes fabric for up to a month, infecting those who touch them, experts warned today amid a worrying spike in infections. 

Other fabric-covered objects such a chairs, sofas, cushions and even curtains could also harbour the highly contagious virus. 

Cases of the winter vomiting bug, which can also cause diarrhoea, are up 40 per cent on previous years, figures show. 

Experts fear any further surges could pile extra pressure on an already stretched health service that is already battling a tidal wave of flu.   

Norovirus is usually spread through close contact with someone who is infected, or by touching surfaces or objects, or eating food someone infected has touched.

Health chiefs already advise against relying on hand sanitisers alone to guard against transmission — as alcohol doesn’t kill off the bug.

Instead, handwashing is recommended as a first-line defence as water helps break down the protein shell around the virus, rendering it harmless. 

Now, experts are urged people to wash and dry their clothes on a high heat setting in an effort to stop the spread.  

Jason Tetro, a microbiologist and author told the HuffPost: ‘Your clothing is porous and therefore is essentially a solid petri dish. 

‘Anything that comes into contact with your clothes is going to stick to [them]. Norovirus [can] survive an entire month in pretty much any condition.’ 

Washing detergents, he added — specifically biological types those that contain enzymes called lipases — will help kill norovirus bacteria.

‘Hot is your best friend against microbes,’ Mr Tetro said. ‘The enzymes are going to break down the microbes.’

He also advised running an empty hot-water cycle with bleach around once a month to clean the tub of the washer. 

University of Minnesota experts advise that cleaning surfaces touched by someone with norovirus is ‘a critical way to to remove and destroy the virus’.

If a person has vomited on carpet on furniture, it warns not to vacuum area before cleaning ‘as this will cause pathogens to become airborne and spread’.

Instead, it suggests applying baking soda to affected area before steam cleaning or disinfecting with antimicrobial products effective against norovirus.

Latest UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) released last month also shows the total number of norovirus reports this year (4,523) is more than double that of five years ago (2,057).

The alert comes as norovirus cases in the UK are almost double that of previous years.   

According to NHS data released today, 528 hospital beds in England were filled each day last week by patients with diarrhoea and vomiting or norovirus-like symptoms.

While this was down from 723 in the previous week, the figure still stands 40 per cent higher than the same point last year and (377) and in 2022 (338).  

However, actual case numbers nationwide may be even higher. 

This is because the figures are based on positive laboratory reports and NHS hospitals reporting suspected and confirmed norovirus outbreaks. 

Most of those infected suffer nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting and recover at home.

But norovirus can pile pressures on hospitals because infected patients need to be isolated in single rooms or wards need to be closed to new patients to contain the spread.

‘It came out of nowhere,’ says the former IT consultant from Reading. ‘I couldn’t move more than few yards from the toilet before having to run back again.

In response to a Mail on Sunday column by GP Dr Ellie Cannon in November, readers wrote in detailing how they had been affected by it. 

A 69-year-old women described suffering ‘the most aggressive diarrhoea and sickness’ after babysitting her granddaughter. Another talked about her 29-year-old son ‘being completely flattened’ by the virus.

Paul Pardon, 73, says he came down with the ‘unbearable’ virus after returning from holiday. 

‘This went on for days. During that time I couldn’t eat all. I also had a terrible fever and was constantly shaking.’ 

The majority of people will not need to speak to a doctor about a norovirus infection.

In most cases, it will clear up on its own.

Rest and having lots of fluid are often recommended by health chiefs to help recover. Paracetamol may also aid a fever or aches and pains. 

Rehydration drinks, such as Dioralyte, which replace crucial salts as well as water, can be bought from a pharmacist.

Parents are advised to avoid giving fizzy drinks or fruit juice to children with norovirus, as this can make the diarrhoea worse.

Many patients also ask doctors for antibiotics, but these are ineffective against viruses. 

Patients with particularly severe projectile vomiting and diarrhoea can, however, get anti-sickness medicines from a GP.