Prepare before you go aboard a cruise ship, experts warn.
Norovirus is a highly contagious gastrointestinal virus that can be caught on cruise ships.
But experts say to prepare ahead is the best way to keep your health while on vacation. Bring hand sanitizer and wash your hands frequently, according to the New York Daily News. Proper hygeiene can go a long way. Practice your balance because you will want to avoid touching handrails.
Experts say the norovirus is spread by touching elevator buttons, salt and pepper shakers and anything else that the mass population will also come in contact with on the cruise ship.
According to reports, door handles, toilet seats and baby-changing tables pose a big risk, so proceed with caution! Press the elevator button with a knuckle instead of your fingertips, a trick that women with manicures have known the world over.
Avoid contact with salt and pepper shakers because norovirus is spread by common contact. If you really need salt or pepper on your food, use a napkin to handle the shakers.
Use a handkerchief or napkin to touch door handles.
Change the baby on your cabin bed and use your foot to put down or lift a toilet seat. Handrails are deadly for spreading the virus.
Avoid contact with the handrails and practice your balance by walking down the stairs in your home or office without using the banister.
Wear comfortable shoes so you don't have to rely on using the banister or handrail.
See the doctor before your cruise. New evidence shows antibiotics may be a key to fighting norovirus, so talk to your doctor.
Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine found that norovirus worked its way into gut tissue of mice that had been pretreated with antibiotics, but it could not establish a persistent infection, a report found.
Follow-up studies showed that norovirus needs a bacterial collaborator to establish a persistent infection in the gut. Scientists suggested eliminating the bacterial partner with an antibiotic could prevent norovirus.
