In the general public’s perception, the virus infection seems to be a “patent” for children, as if only children were subjected to its “invasive attacks”. However, this is a huge area of error, and the virus could be “attacked” against people of all ages because of its age.
The norovirus is a highly contagious virus that is transmitted mainly through manure, oral and also by aerosols from vomiting. It is true that, among children, the virus infection is more common. In places where children gather, such as kindergartens, schools and so on, it is easy to quickly spread to other children through shared toys, utensils and close interpersonal contact when a child becomes infected. When children are infected with a virus, they often suffer from conditions such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, sometimes associated with a fever, headaches and muscle acid problems. As children ‘ s immune systems are not yet fully developed, they may have more visible symptoms after infection and are prone to complications such as dehydration, which also gives special attention to children who are infected with the virus, thus giving the wrong impression that it occurs only among children.
In practice, however, adults are also infected with the virus. Among adults, HIV infection occurs in collective living conditions or in densely populated places, such as university dormitories, military camps, nursing homes, etc. In the case of university students, for example, when eating in school canteens, large-scale infections can occur if food or water sources are contaminated with the virus. Adults experience symptoms similar to those of children after infection, but in general, adults have relatively strong physical resistance, may have relatively light symptoms and may have shorter pathologies. However, this does not mean that adults can ignore the infection of the Noura virus. For adults working in food processing, catering services, medical care, etc., there is a risk of spreading the virus to more people, especially those with low levels of immunity, if they continue to work after infection.
In some specific groups, the risk of infection is even greater. For example, older persons, with their age, their physical functioning is declining and their immune system is seriously impaired. When older persons become infected with the virus, they become more vulnerable to complications such as dehydration, electrolytic disorders and even life-threatening in serious cases. In addition, persons suffering from chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and kidney disease, because of their poor state of health, infected with the virus may not only exacerbate the condition of the disease, but may also cause other complications and complicate treatment.
In the case of actual outbreaks, there is also a tendency at the community level to cross age limits for norovirus infections. For example, at a large-scale community-based event, the spread of the virus among participants, including children, adults and even older persons, resulted from inadequate sanitation and inadequate food hygiene regulations. This is a strong indication that the virus does not target children and that it can spread among all age groups as long as it is appropriate.
In order to prevent HIV infection, hygiene practices should be strengthened, both among children and adults. Hand-washing is one of the most critical preventive measures, especially when hand-washing is carried out with soap and running water, after a meal and after exposure to public goods. In the area of food hygiene, care should be taken to ensure that food sources are safe and reliable, and to avoid cross-contamination during cooking. For drinking water, water that is boiled or disinfected is to be consumed. In the area of public health, there is a need to strengthen environmental health management in collective places, such as schools, kindergartens and nursing homes, by regularly cleaning up classrooms, dormitories, canteens, etc., and maintaining good indoor ventilation. In the event of an infection, the patient should be quarantined in a timely manner and properly treated for vomiting, excreta, etc. to prevent further transmission of the virus.
In short, the virus infection is not the “exclusive” of children, but it is the same for all. We must correct this misconception and raise the awareness of society at large about the prevention of the virus if we are to effectively reduce the incidence of the virus and protect the health of people of all ages.
