Saying No to the Norovirus

Some people call it food poisoning, or the stomach flu, or even viral gastroenteritis. It’s the norovirus, a nasty bug with symptoms we all know too well, and it’s making the rounds in the United States (US) at the moment. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are currently tracking outbreaks[1] in the northeast, but these waves very rarely stay confined to one area. Did you know that foodborne norovirus illness costs US businesses about $2 billion[2] each year, according to the CDC? And in an average year[3], the norovirus leads to 900 deaths, more than 100,000 hospitalizations, 465,000 ER visits, more than 2.2 million outpatient clinic visits and anywhere from 19 to 21 million illnesses.


 
How many of those illnesses are coming from your clients’ member populations? How many deaths? How many lost hours? It seems like every year, a new wave of this terrible bug washes over the country, but that doesn’t mean we’re powerless to do something about it. There are many, many, ways we can say “No” to the norovirus this year, and in the years to come.
 

Think Globally, Act Locally

Protecting members from the norovirus starts with the simplest of things: disinfection. Cleaning surfaces in the workplace and encouraging handwashing/hand sanitization are two fundamental ways to fight the bug. And while there is currently no vaccine available to protect against the norovirus, members who are empowered to utilize their preventive care and primary care benefits, have greater opportunities to identify and deal with an infection earlier than those without access to medical care. Whether members are seeing primary care physicians in person or via telemedicine, early intervention can help to slow the spread of the norovirus, speed recovery, and reduce the need for members to seek care through emergency room visits.
 

Leave it Be

Employers need to make it clear to their people that they should not come in to work while they are sick! Norovirus spreads easily through personal contact, which can turn one case into a flood of illnesses. By stressing the importance of staying home while sick, employers send a strong message that they are committed to the health and wellbeing of their employees. And, by clearly communicating policies around illness, employers make it easier for their employees to make better decisions for their own health and the health of their colleagues.
 

Wellness Programs

Do your clients offer wellness programs? Those programs often offer powerful options for communicating important information to members, which may come in very handy for businesses that wish to get out the word about current threats and how to avoid infection. Employers can also use wellness programs to routinely provide educational materials on proper hand hygiene, sanitation practices, and recognizing the symptoms of norovirus. These programs may also offer overall health support through access to workshops, mental health resources, and fitness classes, which may boost immune function[4] and resilience against infections.
 
At the same time, employers that offer onsite clinics, health fairs, and other types of intervention, can leverage that presence to provide education and physical assistance to members against the norovirus.
 

The Guts to Fight

Protecting members and associates from the norovirus isn’t brain surgery. Simple, common sense tools such as hygiene, isolation, and education can make a huge difference in the lives of members, as well as the financial health of employers. For more information on how to win this fight against the norovirus, connect with us through the form below.