Norovirus infection common during winter, says expert
Norovirus outbreak is common during the cold season in Thailand, Chulalongkorn University's top virologist, Dr Yong Poovorawan, said on Wednesday.
His Facebook post on Wednesday follows the Department of Health’s report on Monday about 1,436 students, teachers and staff at a school in Rayong province getting infected.
Citing a study from the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology which he heads, Yong confirmed that norovirus was commonly found in the cold season, saying that norovirus outbreaks were found in pre- and post-Covid-19 era.
The outbreak was not found during the Covid-19 pandemic when schools were closed and people strictly followed hygiene practices, such as using a serving spoon and washing the hands, he explained.
Yong pointed out that norovirus infection among children and adults surged in 2017 when a rotavirus outbreak also took place. However, he confirmed that rotavirus infection was low as young children had been vaccinated against the virus.
He advised school and factory operators to implement measures to contain the spread of norovirus in order to prevent impact on child development and productivity.
