Viral Gastroenteritis

Several viruses can cause gastroenteritis. In the United States, most viral GI in adults is caused by the highly contagious norovirus. Norovirus is more easily spread in communal settings like residence halls and in households. Viral GI is sometimes called the stomach flu, but it’s not caused by the seasonal flu (influenza) virus, which is a respiratory illness that affects the throat, nose and lungs.

Doctors often diagnose gastroenteritis based on symptoms. Since there is no specific medicine or treatment for viral GI, a test is usually not needed. In rare cases, for example, if your symptoms don’t go away or there is a concern for a non-viral infection, a provider may ask for a stool sample to test for specific bacteria, parasites and viruses. This may help identify causes of diarrhea for which there are specific treatments, or it may be required for investigation if an increased number of cases are recognized over a short period of time.

Symptoms usually begin 12-48 hours after the virus enters your body. The most common symptoms are nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Other possible symptoms are fever, chills, headache and abdominal pain.

There is no specific medicine or treatment for viral gastroenteritis. Prevention of dehydration is most important and can be done by drinking fluids such as water, broth and sports drinks. Please try to avoid caffeinated drinks and acidic liquids (such as orange juice) as they may worsen your symptoms. Viral GI usually lasts one to three days, but it could be up to two weeks before bowel habits return to normal.

Contact the Student Health Center (if you are a student) or your preferred healthcare provider if your symptoms persist beyond expected, or if you: 

• Feel lightheaded or dizzy when standing
• Have persistent vomiting for more than 24 hours
• Have persistent diarrhea for longer than three days 
• Develop bloody stools
• Develop severe abdominal pain
• Or have signs of dehydration (e.g., dry mouth, muscle cramps, infrequent urination, etc.) 

In a medical emergency: 

Or if you are off campus and need emergency care, call 911.

Hilltop Campus, call GUPD at 202-687-4343.

Capitol Campus, call DPS at 202-662-9325.

Viral GI is very contagious, but you can take steps to stop it from spreading.

• Wash your hands thoroughly and often, especially after using the toilet and before touching food.
  • Proper technique matters: wash well with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
  • Hand sanitizers arenot effective against some infections such as norovirus. 
• Don’t share food or drink with others.
  • Order food for delivery, or ask friends or family to bring you meals.
    •  Consider using Hoyas @ Home: Grocery Delivery Service for on-campus or neighborhood delivery options Monday through Friday, if within outlined delivery locations.
    • Consider grocery delivery services which may include Instacart (multiple stores), Safeway, Wegmans, Giant, Amazon Fresh, Harris Teeter, etc.
    • Consider meal delivery services like UberEats, GrubHub, Postmates, Gopuff or DoorDash that offer limited interactions with drivers. 
• Stay home from classes, work and activities until your symptoms have resolved.
  • Reach out to professors and/or deans to arrange for any missed classes.
  • Reach out to supervisors to arrange for time off/sick leave as needed.
  • Take extra caution (e.g. don’t prepare food for others) for an additional 48 hours after your symptoms have resolved.  
• Clean and disinfect surfaces. 
  • Community bathrooms and other common spaces in residence halls are cleaned and disinfected by University facilities staff, utilizing a hospital-grade disinfectant. 
  • For residential students with shared en suite bathrooms, you should utilize an EPA-registered disinfectant with claims against gastrointestinal illnesses.   
• Promptly wash dirty laundry and soiled items.
  • Be sure to use detergent and hot water at the maximum available cycle length then machine dry at the highest heat setting.