Gastro – just what you never wanted

Gastro – just what you never wanted

Gastroenteritis is a viral illness spread through touch – usually hands or contaminated objects or food.

It can also be spread through coughing and sneezing.

You might think this sounds familiar and, in fact, diarrhoea and vomiting can be symptoms of Covid-19 so it’s worth enquiring about a test if you have this.

While many of the Covid-19 behaviours we have adopted have helped, there has been a recent spike in cases of gastro in child care in Victoria.

It can also be very serious for Aged Care Facilities where it cause a lock down of the facility so we want to avoid spreading it.

Symptoms usually start 1 to 3 days after catching it and include mild fever, stomach cramps, diarrhoea and nausea and vomiting.

It usually lasts 1-2 days but can be infectious for another 24 hours – so that’s another day off needed once you feel better!

The best treatment is stay home and certainly away from childcare and Aged Care Facilities.

Take plenty of fluids but avoid fizzy and sugary drinks – water is the best. If you’re hungry, eat small amounts but avoid fatty or sugary foods. Breast fed babies should continue to be breast fed during the illness.

Generally this is self limiting but you should seek medical advice if you become dehydrated. If your child is under 12 months old, call for advice sooner.

Otherwise its back to what we have been hearing so often recently: Stay home, wash your hands and keep the place clean, especially food preparation areas.

You know what to do!

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