Stomach Virus Question

My kids came down with a SV over the weekend, one on sat morning, the other
sat night. I briefly saw them on thursday and my daughter on friday evening
since i took her to a church spend-the-night activity. (i'm a divorced dad)

Questions:

How are these things contracted?

Jeff...

By eating contaminated food (or drinking contaminated drink), touching
something contaminated like a contaminated toilet handle (or other things in
the bathroom), touching something contaminated outside the bathroom (like
from someone who did wash his/her hands), etc. This is generally called the
fecal-oral route, because you get contaminated from someone's poop and it
ends up in the mouth.

Because contamination is a major cause, you really need to wash after you
use the toilet. It's not you're poop that's going to bother you - you've
already been exposed to whatever germs you have, but, rather the poop of
someone who went before you. And some of that poop can be on the tiolet
handle, stall door, sink, etc.

Nan...

Everything Jeff said. I'll add that when someone is sick in our house
I use quite a bit of Lysol spray on surfaces that tend to get touched
by the sick person (door handles, etc), and on the toilet seat/handle.
I also wash dishes with a bit of bleach in the water. It seems to cut
down on the passing around of these viruses.

Ericka Kammerer...

Agreed with all that, but the really big thing in my
experience is simply to avoid touching your face/mouth or
preparing food unless you have washed your hands. Getting
the germs on your hands is not the problem. They have to
get in you via eyes, mouth, nose, cuts, whatever (at least
for the many things that aren't spread through the air).
So, even if you're around a bunch of germ spreaders, if you're
disciplined about washing before eating, preparing food, or
touching your face (and keep a bandage over cuts), you'll
cut down on getting stuff substantially. You'll have an even
better chance if you encourage the same in the kids.

Best wishes,
Ericka

How long from exposure to symtoms?

Jeff...

Hours to two or three days.

Can I reinfect myself by coming in contact with the "bug"?

Jeff...

Yes, but not usually. Most of the time, you can't get it again, at least for
a long while. Once you're immune, you're immune. Of course, you aren't
immune to other stomach bugs.

Thanks, been a rough 48 hours LOL

Jeff...

This. too, shall pass.

Jeff