The Health Department has issued a statement regarding prevention from the highly contagious stomach flu that has spread in the New York City. Due to the flu, emergency room visits have increased nearly 20 % over the last two weeks, to about 400 people a day, with people complaining of vomiting and diarrhea.

The norovirus infection that is causing the stomach flu is seen in late fall and winter and health officials say this is not a serious disease with most people recovering within a few days. Precautions should be taken with babies under six months who contract the flu and care should be taken that they are made to drink adequate liquids when they are sick.  

Some simple common sense prevention steps are: wash your hands with soap and warm water before eating food and after using the bathroom, stay home from work or school if you are sick, avoid public or crowded places in case of infection. If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer wipes or gel.

Symptoms of the contagious stomach flu are vomiting, diarrhea, sometime nausea, stomach cramping, fever, chills, aches and tiredness. People who get the flu should drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration for which specialized medical care is required.

Dr. Sharon Balter, a medical epidemiologist at the Health Department, advises thorough hand-washing with soap and warm water, before eating food and after using the bathroom, to avoid being infected with the stomach flu.