A school in Stacksteads is closed due to a norovirus outbreak.

St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School is closed due to excessive staff absence due to the vomiting bug.

The school said parents have been notified and Public Health England has been contacted.

A spokesperson for the school said: “School closed due to excessive staff absence, “Unavoidable school closure due to excessive staff absence due to the norovirus. We have notified parents and contacted Public Health.”

Symptoms of norovirus

 

According to the NHS, the main symptoms of norovirus are:

  • feeling sick (nausea)
  • diarrhoea
  • being sick (vomiting)

You may also have:

  • a high temperature
  • a headache
  • aching arms and legs

The symptoms start suddenly within one to two days of being infected.

Norovirus can spread very easily.

You can catch norovirus from:

  • close contact with someone with norovirus
  • touching surfaces or objects that have the virus on them, then touching your mouth
  • eating food that's been prepared or handled by someone with norovirus

Washing your hands frequently with soap and water is the best way to stop it spreading. Alcohol hand gels do not kill norovirus.

The number of patients in hospital in England with norovirus has jumped sharply, with health experts warning levels of the seasonal bug remain high.

An average of 678 adult hospital beds were filled in the week starting June 3, with people with diarrhoea and vomiting or norovirus-like symptoms, NHS data shows.

This is up 45 per cent from 468 beds the previous week and is just below the peak of 688 beds reached at the end of January, which was the highest figure this winter.

Norovirus is the most common infectious cause of vomiting and diarrhoea