Norovirus is the main pathogen causing acute gastroenteritis in densely populated places such as schools and childcare institutions, with high infectivity and rapid transmission ability. The entire population is generally susceptible, and the immune protection time after infection is short. October to March of the following year is the peak season for Norovirus infection in China. Recently, there have been outbreaks of Norovirus infections in some regions. The National Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention has released the "Guidelines for Norovirus Infection Prevention and Control Disinfection Techniques in Key Places such as Schools". How can it be effectively implemented? The reporter interviewed relevant experts and schools. Schools and other crowded places are prone to Norovirus infection. Since October, Norovirus cluster infections have occurred in some areas such as Shaanxi, Hubei, and Yunnan. In order to guide the scientific disinfection of key places and effectively prevent and respond to norovirus infection, the National Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention has issued the "Technical Guidelines for Prevention and Control of Norovirus Infection in Schools and Other Key Places", requiring that after discovering a patient infected with norovirus, corresponding measures should be taken in a timely manner and disinfection should be carried out as soon as possible. The technical guidelines point out that norovirus has the characteristics of strong infectivity, low infection dose, long detoxification time, short immune protection time, and general susceptibility of the entire population. It is prone to outbreaks of norovirus infectious diarrhea in crowded places such as schools, kindergartens, and elderly care institutions. To do a good job in screening for norovirus, students in front of each class at Peihong Primary School in Nanning, Guangxi will queue up in an orderly manner every day for morning check ups. Have you vomited or had diarrhea recently? "On the morning of December 16th, the duty teacher measured the students' body temperature, observed their throat and hand skin, and specifically asked if there were any suspected symptoms of Norovirus infection. According to school doctor Wei Qiaolian, during the high incidence season of norovirus, the school will carry out disease prevention education through themed class meetings, campus broadcasts, and distributing "letters to parents". The education is not only aimed at students, but also covers parents. "Compared to common infectious diseases in children such as hand, foot, and mouth disease and influenza, the awareness of norovirus among parents needs to be further improved. Besides campuses, norovirus is also easily transmitted in households. First it was the father, then the grandmother, and after half a day, the child also experienced nausea and vomiting, "said Zhu Xiaolin, a resident of Nanning, bringing her 7-year-old child to the Children's Digestive Department of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Maternal and Child Health Hospital for medical treatment. After examination, the child was diagnosed with Norovirus infection. The deputy chief physician who received the patient, He Xiaoyin, said, "If a family eats, lives together, and shares a bathroom, and if hygiene habits are not good, one person can easily infect other family members, especially the elderly and children with relatively weak resistance. How can norovirus be transmitted? What are the symptoms? Peng Zhibin, an associate researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, introduced that Norovirus is one of the common pathogens causing acute gastroenteritis, with strong infectivity and diverse transmission routes. Norovirus acute gastroenteritis can occur throughout the year, with a high incidence in autumn and winter. Currently, there are no specific drugs or vaccines available. Jia Lei, Deputy Director of the Institute of Infectious Diseases and Local Disease Control at the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that human infection with Norovirus can lead to acute gastroenteritis, which usually occurs within 12 to 48 hours. The most common symptoms are diarrhea and vomiting, followed by nausea, abdominal pain, headache, fever, chills, and muscle soreness; Children are more prone to vomiting than adults. Jia Lei introduced that norovirus is mainly transmitted through fecal oral route, such as ingestion of contaminated food and water, contact with patient's excrement or vomit, or contact with contaminated hands, objects or utensils, as well as aerosols produced by vomit or feces. It is particularly important to note that oysters and other shellfish can accumulate norovirus in seawater, making them high-risk foods. Peng Zhibin stated that acute gastroenteritis caused by norovirus is a self limiting disease, with most symptoms being mild and not requiring special treatment. Rest for 2 to 3 days can lead to recovery. But for infants, young children, elderly people, especially those with underlying diseases, if they experience severe symptoms such as frequent vomiting, diarrhea, or even dehydration, they should seek medical treatment in a timely manner. He Xiaoyin reminds that when symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea occur, do not blindly use antibiotics without identifying the cause. Experts suggest that in order to prevent norovirus infection, parents should first educate their children to develop the good habit of washing their hands carefully with soap before and after meals. They should also pay attention to disinfecting tissues and disposable hand sanitizers, which cannot replace hand washing. At the same time, parents should encourage children to strengthen physical exercise, maintain a balanced diet, and follow a regular schedule to enhance their body's resistance. How to effectively prevent and control? Schools and childcare institutions are important places for preventing, controlling, and responding to the Norovirus. Jia Lei said that it is necessary to remind children that if any classmates vomit in the class, they must leave the scene quickly and orderly under the guidance of the teacher. Designated personnel should use chlorine containing agents to disinfect the vomit, contaminated areas, items, etc. under the premise of wearing masks, gloves and other protective equipment, in order to reduce the possibility of contracting norovirus. Zhu Jianxun, the principal of Xitang Experimental Primary School in Kunshan High tech Zone, Jiangsu Province, stated that currently, all classrooms in the school are equipped with chlorine containing disinfectant "vomit packs". If students experience vomiting and diarrhea, the school doctor will intervene immediately, isolate them in a timely manner, and take disinfection measures. At the same time, the class adopts limited isolation measures within the school to ensure the continuity of students' learning and reduce parental anxiety. According to the technical guidelines, norovirus has strong resistance to commonly used disinfectants, and alcohol is ineffective against it. Therefore, high-level disinfectants or effective physical disinfection methods should be selected. A large amount of pollutants such as vomit and excrement from patients should be completely covered with disinfectant powder or bleach containing absorbent ingredients, or with disinfectant wipes that can achieve high-level disinfection. After disinfection for a certain period of time, they should be carefully removed. When there are visible pollutants on the ground, walls, and surfaces of objects, the pollutants should be removed before disinfection. When there are no visible pollutants, a chlorine containing disinfectant with an effective chlorine concentration of 1000mg/L can be used for 30 minutes, or other high-level disinfectants can be sprayed, wiped, or soaked for disinfection. The Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention reminds schools to develop infectious disease prevention and control plans and emergency plans, strictly implement systems such as morning and afternoon check ups, absenteeism registration, case tracking, and verification of resumption certificates. Adequate and effective disinfection materials and personal protective equipment should be provided, and public places such as classrooms, dormitories, canteens, and bathrooms within the school should be regularly cleaned and disinfected, as well as key areas such as door handles, stair handrails, sinks, toilets, elevator buttons, etc. (New Society)