Gastrointestinal illness - the kind of illness that makes us feel sick, vomit or have diarrhoea - affects people of all ages and is one of the most common health complaints in the United Kingdom. It is also one of the most common health issues that people experience when travelling abroad.
Norovirus, commonly known as the winter vomiting bug (although you can catch it throughout the year, including during summer), is a stomach bug that causes vomiting and diarrhoea. It spreads easily through communities, making outbreaks common in settings where individuals have close contact such as hospitals, care homes, schools and nurseries.
We see cases of flu, RSV, COVID-19 and norovirus throughout the year, but in winter they circulate at the same time and can reach high levels. We also track other respiratory viruses – rhinovirus, adenovirus, human metapneumovirus (hMPV) and parainfluenza …
This blog post was reviewed and updated in February 2025. Data for the current 2024/2025 season in England shows that norovirus laboratory reports are notably higher than the 5-season average. Norovirus cases typically increase through autumn and into winter, but …
Traditional Chinese New Year celebrations, also known as the Spring Festival, start on 19 February 2015 (the Chinese Year of the Goat). The Spring festival is the longest and most important festival in the Chinese calendar, lasting for fifteen days. …
