If there’s one thing you don’t want to endure, it’s the symptoms of norovirus, which also goes by the unfortunately apt moniker of “winter vomiting disease:” It triggers brutal GI upset for roughly one to three hellish days. Norovirus usually spikes in the depths of winter, as its nickname references, because the pathogen fares better at lower temperatures. And recent wastewater data reveals an earlier-than-usual surge, particularly in the Northeast and Midwest.
While CDC data suggests norovirus rates are still below their unusually high peak this time last year, there are a few reasons to be concerned. For one, 2024 brought a new variant of norovirus, GII.17, which has “an enhanced ability to bind to human intestinal cells,” making it better at evading any immunity from prior infections, Asif Noor, MD, chief of the division of pediatric infectious diseases at NYU Langone-Long Island, tells SELF. And experts suspect this beast of a variant could dominate again this year.
Norovirus is also extremely contagious, particularly the GII.17 variant, Dr. Noor adds. It spreads easily through contact with someone who’s infected—say, by caring for a sick person, or by sharing food or eating utensils with them. Plus, it’s an especially sturdy bug, with a strong shell that everyday cleaners can’t easily dissolve, allowing it to linger on surfaces for days (you’ll typically need bleach to kill it).
Read on to learn the most common norovirus symptoms to look out for, and when it’s time to check in with a doctor if you’re feeling trapped-in-the-bathroom sick.
1. Severe stomach cramping or pain
It’s easy to write off an upset stomach, but the abdominal cramping and pain typically caused by norovirus will be hard to ignore. It’ll generally start abruptly and tends to be severe, Dr. Noor says. Many people also experience uncomfortable nausea, per the CDC.
2. Diarrhea, vomiting, or both
Norovirus often causes persistent diarrhea and vomiting—sometimes both at the same time, Rabia A. De Latour, MD, gastroenterologist and assistant professor of medicine at NYU Langone, tells SELF. It’s the reason for norovirus’s other terrible nickname, the “two bucket disease.” Per the CDC, it isn’t unusual to feel “extremely ill” and deal with diarrhea or vomiting multiple times a day. (That said, norovirus shouldn’t cause any blood in your poop.)
3. Body aches and other flu-like symptoms
It’s no coincidence that people often call norovirus the “stomach flu.” It can similarly trigger muscle aches, fatigue, and headaches. As with most infectious illnesses, when your immune system jumps into action to fight norovirus, your protective cells trigger inflammation, which can lead to whole-body soreness and make you feel completely wiped out.
4. Fever and chills
A low-grade fever—meaning your temperature is somewhere between 99.6 and 100.3 degrees Fahrenheit—is a common symptom of norovirus, as are the chills. Like muscle aches, a fever can be a sign that your body is fighting an infection, and it can make you feel clammy or sweaty.
5. Severe dehydration
Because norovirus can set off seemingly nonstop diarrhea and vomiting, it’s essential to be aware of your fluid intake once symptoms hit, Christopher Cao, MD, an assistant professor of gastroenterology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, tells SELF: “One of the most frequent symptoms we see in patients is dehydration.” This, in turn, can lead to muscle cramps, headaches, dizziness or lightheadedness, dark-colored urine, dry mouth, exhaustion, or feeling confused.
When to see a doctor about norovirus symptoms
If you have any combo of the symptoms above and they don’t settle after 48 hours—or you just feel really unwell and can’t keep food or liquids down—it’s time to seek medical help, Dr. De Latour says. Getting in touch with a primary care doctor is a good place to start, whether they’re a provider you see regularly or one at an urgent care center.
