Caitlin Whyte (Host): Welcome to another episode of UAMS Health Talk, the podcast from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, where we dive into the latest health topics and provide valuable insights for healthier living.

Today, we are sitting down with Dr. Robert Hopkins, Jr., a distinguished Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at UAMS and the Director of the UAMS Division of General Internal Medicine. Recently appointed as the Medical Director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, Dr. Hopkins is here to discuss an important topic, norovirus.

Well, thank you, doctor, for being on the show today. To start us off, can you tell us, what is norovirus?

Dr. Robert Hopkins Jr.: Norovirus is a common virus that we see circulating in the world. It typically occurs in outbreaks, and can occur in any setting. You can get it from eating at a restaurant. You can get it in child care or another environment. And most people think of norovirus as being associated with cruise ships. And while you can get norovirus on a cruise ship and it causes lots of illness there, the amount of norovirus that you see on cruise ships is really less than 1% of norovirus outbreaks.

Host: Well, what are some common symptoms of norovirus then?

Dr. Robert Hopkins Jr.: Norovirus commonly causes vomiting and diarrhea, may or may not have fever associated with that, and it's typically very sudden onset.

Host: Gotcha. Alrighty. Well, is there a certain time of year that norovirus is more likely to spread?

Dr. Robert Hopkins Jr.: Most commonly, we see the outbreaks from November through April, but we do see outbreaks sometimes earlier in the fall, in the summer, and later in the spring as well.

Host: Gotcha. So, it can kind of be year round, it sounds like.

Dr. Robert Hopkins Jr.: Yes, it can, unfortunately.

Host: Unfortunately. Well, how does norovirus spread exactly?

Dr. Robert Hopkins Jr.: Well, norovirus can be spread through you know, the secretions that we all secrete. You know, so, if you cough, if you sneeze, you can spread that virus. And the one of the difficulties with norovirus is that it can live for a period of time on surfaces. So if you're preparing food for someone and you have norovirus on your hands, you can potentially spread that virus into the food materials you're giving to someone else.

If you're eating out at a establishment and there's norovirus on the table or the utensils and they haven't been wiped down with something that's going to kill the virus, you can pick it up. So, it's very easy for people to get from person to person and also from surfaces.

Host: Well, let's talk about prevention then. How can we prevent the spread of norovirus?

Dr. Robert Hopkins Jr.: Well, norovirus is one of those viruses that's what we call not encapsulated. It's got an outer protein coat. And so, really soap and water is the most important tool to prevent norovirus from spreading from person to person. And on surfaces, you really need to use a dilute bleach solution in order to wipe those surfaces down because alcohol-based hand sanitizers and alcohol-based cleaners are not effective against this type of virus.

Host: Oh, wow. That is good to know. Well, if we do end up with norovirus, what are some common treatments available?

Dr. Robert Hopkins Jr.: You really have to treat the symptoms. Plenty of fluids, rest, you know, give you time to get better. We don't have any antivirals that are effective against norovirus. And at least, at the current time, we don't have a vaccine, although there are some vaccine trials that are underway at present.

Host: Great. Well, doctor, anything else that you would like folks to know about norovirus as we close out today?

Dr. Robert Hopkins Jr.: Well, this has been a particularly bad year for norovirus. We have a new strain of norovirus that's the most common strain that's circulating here in the United States. It's been going on since September. So, I really would encourage people. Let's do a good job washing our hands with soap and water. Help our children to do so. Let's wipe down those surfaces. While norovirus in most people causes a relatively self-limited illness, we do see upwards of a thousand deaths a year, most in the elderly and in very young children. And so, let's do everything we can to prevent norovirus infections.

Host: Always a great reminder to keep washing those hands. Thank you so much, Dr. Hopkins, for sharing your expertise on norovirus and providing our listeners with actionable insights to help protect themselves and their loved ones. If you have questions for Dr. Hopkins or wish to learn more, don't hesitate to contact UAMS. And to make an appointment, please call 501-686-8000. Thank you for listening to UAMS Health Talk.