Warning: While I have done my best to not speak in graphic terms some of this post may make a few of you anxious as I refer to norovirus and stomach bugs being spread. It's not my intent to upset or distress anyone, just my take on the situation (and mainly so I could get things off my chest as this particular situation is getting to me at the moment) in the hope that other emets relate to it. 

So it's official, winter is among us. I must first of all apologise that I haven't been updating this blog as regularly as I like, but work and uni are pretty much taking over and any free time I do have is spent doing reading or housework. But, hey ho.

While winter has so many awesome parts, snuggling up with a cup of tea and a blanket, bringing out the big comfy winter PJs, Christmas etc etc etc, there is the one less cheery aspect that sends me scraping my nails down the wall and that thing is: norovirus.

Not just norovirus, all related stomach bugs.

As an emet, a stomach bug is one of the worst things you can come across. And it's no surprise that I have a huge hatred for those who don't take the simple easy concept of HYGIENE properly. Not just in winter, all the time. How hard is it to wash your hands after using the toilet? It takes less than a minute and you're potentially giving an emet one of the greatest gifts of all: a chance to not catch a v*ing virus. But no, some people still give us emets a gift, one which we'd more than leap at the chance to give back to you, and that is, yep, you guessed it, a stomach bug.

Given the fact we now have products that take even less time to use than traditional soap and water methods, there is really no excuse to not keep up good hand hygiene. And it's not just hand hygiene, it's a matter of being considerate to others when you're sick. Not just with tummy bugs, with colds too. Catch your sneezes in a tissue, throw it away, then wash your hands. Don't sneeze on your hands and rub it onto your jeans. If I see anyone do that I just want to slap and shake them - but I'd have to wear gloves and a biohazard mask before I do that.

And why does everyone suddenly have to become a hero and go to work when they're ill?! Fair enough, a cold - not flu - is likely to get people gossiping and slating you if you take a sick day because of it. But, if you're considerate to others by keeping up good hand hygiene, catching your germs in tissues and keeping away from people, you're not likely to spread it around as much. While a few people may catch it, I think a vast majority of emets would agree with me that a cold is much better than a stomach bug. Personally, I'd rather be led in bed for 2 weeks with the flu than have a stomach bug for 24 hours.

People coming to work the morning after they've had an upset stomach is a bug bear of mine, however the thing that gets me raving is the following people: those who come to work, still showing v*ing, and it's other half, d*.

For one thing, it can't be very nice for you to be at work having to constantly run to the toilet, while also feeling like crap. Personally, if it were me, I'd be petrified about having an accident. That for me is grounds on it's own to not go in. Secondly, it's not fair to your colleauges, particularly if you're in an environment with shared computers, phones etc. Third, if you work with customers or patients, depending on what kind of contact you have with them, you're potentially infecting every single person you come into contact with.

Yes, I completely understand that not everyone can afford a sick day, but jesus, if you caught a sick bug from someone surely you'd be saying "I caught this from [insert name here], they should have been at home instead of bringing this in with them!"

The sucky part is, as an emet you can only do so much. I for one use hand gel like mad and when there's quiet periods at work I clean the phones and keyboards with antibacterial wipes, however when it gets busy, it's impossible to keep track of who has used what and to clean after each individual person has touched it. I mean, I could try, but I'd most likely get the sack. Or at least a written warning.

For me, another thing is the not knowing. If someone comes in saying "I was poorly last night" - my immediate thought is stomach bug, although there's only so much you can ask without sounding like a weirdo: "did you v*?" "how long since you lasted v*ed?" "have you done it today?" "do you still feel sick?" "have you been sick here?" Even when talking to someone who knows I have emet, the common response is "why do you want to know so much? I thought you don't like people being sick?"

Yes that's right. But in a sense I'm looking for reassurance, i.e. "no, it wasn't a stomach bug, I think it was something I ate" or "no, I just have a cold that's been keeping me up." However, it could go the other way: "it's definitely a bug I caught it from [name], I'm still being sick but I can't afford to miss work" - GO HOME! DON'T BE A HERO. I'm personally not sure if the not knowing is good or bad. Bad in the sense that if you do know the ins and outs, you're going to become oversensitive to every little physical symptom you have, which will make you anxious, which will make those symptoms worse, and so on. But good in the sense that you definitely know what's wrong, and the not-knowing anxiety will be gone (albeit replaced with the above mentioned anxiety).

So my advice from this post is: stay at home if you're unwell. Particularly if it's a stomach bug. Emetophobia is the 7th common phobia in the UK. Chances are you know or work with someone who suffers. So for their sake: wash your hands and keep your germs at home.