Exposed to norovirus - how to minimise infection risk?

[GoBecGo]

It might be too late now but here goes...

Yesterday while i was at a friend's house with the kids her DP (who was there too) became violently ill.  I packed up the kids, washed their hands in hot water and soap (in a bathroom DP had not used for days, they have 3!) and left.  When i got in friend texted to say she too had been horribly ill.

I made dinner - a pasta dish with an entire bulb of garlic in it, made sure to wash everyone's hands and change their clothes, and am hoping for the best.

Is there anything else we can eat/do to try to combat this in case we've been infected?  Friend texted again this morning to say they think it's the winter vomiting bug (norovirus) though out of season, as the symtoms all fit.  Their kids are not ill yet as far as i know, i was wondering if it might be food poisoning but time will tell.  Usually if it's a virus the kids get ill first, and this time it was the adults who got ill first, which is why is wondered food poisoning....?

I feel ok so far.  We all ate there - DD1 had a bacon roll and a donut, i had soup and a bacon roll.  Friend is, in general, really good with hygiene and i watched her wash her hands before she cooked AND spray/wipe down her surfaces before and after preparing lunch.

We're only a few months out of an horrific vomiting bug ourselves - part of me kind of hopes it was the same one so we might still be immune!

Anyone have any ideas of things we can eat/avoid to hopefully kill off this thing if we've ingested it?

[SuburbanHippie]

Lots of vitamin D.  Check out http://www.homefirst.com for recommendations for your kids.  Exposed adults can take 50,000 IUs of Vitamin D3 for 3 days safely.  I have completely avoided norovirus this way several times after taking care of my sick kids. 

[Strong Mama]

CDC says somewhere that only 10% of vomits are from viruses, the rest is food poisoning usually. Sounds like, if they got it at the same time, it was food poisoning. I wouldnt worry.

[BellinghamCrunchie]

Originally Posted by Strong Mama 

CDC says somewhere that only 10% of vomits are from viruses, the rest is food poisoning usually. Sounds like, if they got it at the same time, it was food poisoning. I wouldnt worry.

Hmmm I thought it was the opposite. Most episodes of vomitting were caused by viruses, and food poisoning was actually very rare. Do you have any links?

[BellinghamCrunchie]

"The most common cause of vomiting in older infants and children is infectious gastroenteritis (an infection of the stomach or intestines), usually caused by a virus."

http://www.uptodate.com/contents/patient-information-nausea-and-vomiting-in-infants-and-children

[ameliabedelia]

I hope you all stay well.

I would guess it is food poisoning just based on the fact that the parents got it and not the kids.  It seems pretty unlikely that the parents would come down with a virus (and not the kids), but of course not impossible.

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In the meantime, for prevention, I would do Vitamin D and garlic as already suggested.  Apple cider vinegar can help as well.

ETA:  I'm not allowed to link to my own website, but if you click the first link in my signature, there is a page on the stomach flu, and it has both prevention ideas and ideas if you do get sick.