Office of Medical Communications

Infectious disease specialist Tim Lahey, M.D., M.M.Sc., professor of medicine

(MARCH 2, 2024) Infectious disease specialist Tim Lahey, M.D., M.M.Sc., professor of medicine, spoke to WCAX-TV about norovirus, a common virus that comes in waves—especially in the cold, winter months.

“Norovirus typically hits quickly, you can feel normal and then a couple of hours later be unable to stop throwing up,” Leahy said.

Lahey advises eating bland foods and drinking anything with electrolytes. He says the most common symptoms are fever and diarrhea.

“Norovirus is really easy to transmit through ordinary activity. We think that it gets on people’s hands and on the surfaces and the place they live, and so can easily be transmitted between people who live together, eat together, and go to school together,” he said.

He says it affects everyone differently—some people have it for a day but could last 2–3 days for some people.

“Staying hydrated is a really important thing to take care of,” Leahy said.