A new virus is sweeping the UK at the moment and it isn’t showing any signs of slowing down.

The unpleasant stomach bug was highlighted in warnings to the British public last month as infections were higher than the seasonal average, though things have not improved since then as new variants have appeared.

The ‘Kawasaki’ bug, named after the Japanese city where it originated from, has emerged as a new variant of norovirus, and it actually makes up 70 percent of all existing cases of the winter bug, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

The virus is continuing to spread across the UK (Getty Stock Image)

What is norovirus?

According to the NHS, norovirus is a stomach bug that can be ‘very unpleasant’, though it often goes in around two days.

Health experts are urging people that have contracted the bug to isolate themselves at home while recovering, and to stay behind closed doors for two additional days after recovering to prevent the spread – five days in total.

In the last two weeks of October, the nation saw a 16 percent increase in cases compared to the previous two weeks, reports the Mirror.

It should be noted that this is based on cases confirmed in a lab, not others that may have suffered with the infection and not got it tested.

As the number of patients admitted to hospital continue to skyrocket, a spokesperson for the UKHSA stated: “The increase of the variant has been observed in other countries and is being closely monitored.”

Feeling nauseous or suddenly getting diarrhoea are a few of the symptoms linked with the infection (Getty Stock Image)

What are the symptoms to look out for?

The NHS’ official advice lists the main symptoms of norovirus, which start suddenly within a day or two of being infected, as:

• Feeling nauseous
• Diarrhoea
• Vomiting
• Having a high temperature
• Having a headache
• Arms and legs aching

You can treat yourself at home, simply by resting and drinking plenty of fluids.

Norovirus and its Kawasaki bug variant is spread by close contact with someone else who is infected, or touching surfaces or objects that have been contaminated with the virus, including eating food that has been handled by someone infected.

Washing your hands frequently with soap and water, not just hand-gels, can kill the virus.

You can prevent the stomach bug by keeping your hands clean (Getty Stock Image)

Medical expert’s advice on norovirus

The deputy director of gastrointestinal infections at the UKHSA, Gauri Godbole, revealed what you should do if you think you have contracted the infection.

“If you have diarrhoea and vomiting, do not return to work, school or nursery until 48 hours after your symptoms have stopped and don’t prepare food for others in that time either,” she said.

“If you are unwell, avoid visiting people in hospitals and care homes to prevent passing on the infection in these settings.

“People who fall ill with norovirus are advised to rest, get plenty of fluids and take paracetamol. Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach and intestines.

“It’s sometimes referred to as the ‘stomach flu’ although it’s not related to the influenza virus. Norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illness and outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness worldwide, especially in places like hospitals, cruise ships, schools, and nursing homes, where people are in close quarters.”

The number of norovirus cases in the UK is continuing to surge as a new variant of the winter vomiting bug has began to spread.

Brits were warned at the beginning of last month that infections were ‘higher than expected’ and things have only continued to go downhill since then.

As a result, health chiefs are now urging people to isolate at home for a number of days if they end up on the receiving end of the dangerous new ‘Kawasaki’ bug that’s in circulation.

The variant – which is named after the Japanese city where it was first detected – currently accounts for 70% of all cases, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

In the last two weeks of October, there was a 16 percent rise in infections in comparison to the fortnight before as 447 cases of it were recorded, according to The Mirror.

However, these figures only refer to cases which have been confirmed in a lab, suggesting there could be many more people who have contracted Kawasaki but haven’t been tested.

The Kawasaki variant is responsible for 70% of all norovirus cases at the moment (Getty Stock Photo)

The number of hospital admissions for patients with the highly contagious norovirus have also skyrocketed and currently sit 26 percent above the five-year average, The Mirror further reports.

A spokesman for the UKHSA said: “The increase of the variant has been observed in other countries and is being closely monitored.”

According to the NHS, norovirus causes vomiting and diarrhoea, along with a possible high temperature and headache.

The symptoms typically start quite suddenly within 1 to 2 days of being infected – but the good news is, it should usually only last for around 48 hours.

You can treat yourself at home for the bug, with medics advising sufferers to drink lots of fluids and rest.

Norovirus is spread through close contact with someone who is infected, touching surfaces or objects that have been contaminated with the virus, or eating food which has been handled by someone who has it.

The NHS say washing your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water is the best way to stop the spread, as alcohol-based hand gels do not kill norovirus.

The UKHSA also issued some advice for those who want to avoid passing it on to other people.

It said: “If you have diarrhoea and vomiting, do not return to work, school or nursery until 48 hours after your symptoms have stopped and don’t prepare food for others in that time either.

“If you are unwell, avoid visiting people in hospitals and care homes to prevent passing on the infection in these settings.”

Brits have been urged to stay home for five days to stop the spread if they contract it (Getty Stock Photo)

Gauri Godbole, deputy director of gastrointestinal infections at the UKHSA, explained what you should do if you think you may have been struck down by the bug.

“If you have diarrhoea and vomiting, do not return to work, school or nursery until 48 hours after your symptoms have stopped and don’t prepare food for others in that time either,” she said.

“If you are unwell, avoid visiting people in hospitals and care homes to prevent passing on the infection in these settings.

“People who fall ill with norovirus are advised to rest, get plenty of fluids and take paracetamol. Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach and intestines.

“It’s sometimes referred to as the ‘stomach flu’ although it’s not related to the influenza virus. Norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illness and outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness worldwide, especially in places like hospitals, cruise ships, schools, and nursing homes, where people are in close quarters.”

Since the illness can last up to 3 days, it is recommended for Brits to stay home for five days in total just to be on the safe side.

Experts have issued a warning after a woman lost her hair following an insect bite.

The 28-year-old, from Boston, Massachusetts, was bitten on top of her scalp and subsequently suffered hair loss around the affected site.

The alopecia started to spread and the patient was left with thinning hair, as well as bald patches across her head.

The case report reads: “Upon presentation, her exam revealed diffuse patchy hair loss […] with yellow and black dots and exclamation point hairs throughout the entire scalp, and postinflammatory hyperpigmentation and scar-like alopecia at the site of attachment.”

The alopecia occurred after the insect bite (Getty Stock Photo)

Hair loss can be a result of tick bites. Healthline explains: “Hair loss has also been a reported symptom both anecdotally and in clinical case reports. This may be caused by temporary hair follicle damage from the infection, or from the tick bite itself.”

Writing in JAAD Case Reports, medics have explained further: “Tick bite alopecia, although rare, has maintained a relatively predictable clinical course.

“Hard tick scalp attachment typically induces tissue necrosis [death] and the formation of an eschar [dead tissue that forms over healthy skin that then sheds] that ultimately progresses to a patch of moth-eaten-appearing cicatricial alopecia [scarring hair loss].

A case report reveals the patient’s hair loss (National Library of Medicine)

“Surrounding hair loss can occur around the attachment site.”

While hair loss can resolve in a few months, experts say it can in some cases take up to five years.

After consulting doctors, the anonymous patient – who also had polycystic ovary syndrome – began taking a steroid, followed by a medication called baricitinib.

Baricitinib is a strong drug used to treat severe rheumatoid arthritis, as well as alopecia and eczema.

After a few months, the woman’s hair began to grow, with ‘significant regrowth in all prior alopecic sites apart from the tick attachment site and the immediate surrounding area’, the case report explains.

Ticks are small insects that feed on the blood of birds and mammals, including humans.

Ticks can be found in grassy and woodland areas (Getty Stock Photo)

They’re usually found in woodland, moorland or grassy areas, such as gardens and parks.

They can’t fly, but attach onto skin or fur if the animal or person is standing close enough, or walking by.

Tick bites can cause swelling, itchiness and blistering around the site and if you do think you’ve been bitten by a tick, it’s important to seek medical advice.

In some cases, tick bites can lead to Lyme disease, which is a potentially serious illness.

If not treated, Lyme disease can cause pain and swelling in the joints, nerve issues, memory problems, difficulty concentrating and heart complications.

According to experts, tick bites are on the rise in the UK.

Sally Cutler, professor of medical microbiology at the University of East London, explained in The Conversation: “It’s difficult to estimate how much tick populations have really increased, and whether this is part of a long-term trend, because tick abundance surveys tend to be localised and sporadic, and the tick life-cycle typically spans around two years.

“But we are seeing both an upsurge of some species and the establishment of new ticks in the UK in recent years.”

If you’re not feeling very well at the moment then you’re not the only one.

It appears that we’ve been given a ’48-hour warning’ as cases of a nasty bug are on the rise.

The highly contagious norovirus – dubbed the ‘winter vomiting bug’ – is already here.

According to the NHS, the stomach bug causes vomiting and diarrhoea, along with a possible high temperature and headache.

Those who catch norovirus may also have aching arms and legs, warns the health service.

A health expert insists that you need to take ‘steps to avoid passing the infection on’ (Getty Stock Images)

As reported by The Sun, Amy Douglas, an epidemiologist at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said: “Norovirus levels have remained higher than expected recently and cases are likely to increase.

“To help reduce the spread of the infection, if you have diarrhoea and vomiting, take steps to avoid passing the infection on.

“Do not return to work, school or nursery until 48 hours after your symptoms have stopped and don’t prepare food for others in that time either.

“If you are unwell, avoid visiting people in hospitals and care homes to prevent passing on the infection in these settings.”

While many of us have carried on using hand sanitiser after the coronavirus pandemic, Douglas warns that ‘alcohol gels do not kill norovirus’.

Instead, she insists that you wash your hands the old fashioned way, with warm water and soap.

“Washing your hands with soap and warm water and using bleach-based products to clean surfaces will also help stop infections from spreading,” the health professional added.

UKHSA data suggests that cases have been up by double the average amount recorded within a two-week period, the outlet reports.

The advice is to stay home from work if you’re not feeling well (Getty Stock Images)

“With kids returning to school over the last few weeks, cases are likely to rise,” Douglas warned.

As parents will naturally be worried for their kids, superintendent pharmacist at Boots, Claire Nevinson, has urged ‘children to practice good personal hygiene’.

She told PA that kids need to stay up to date with vaccinations, stay home when ill, get enough sleep and manage their stress levels when they can.

Also on the important of having a balanced diet, Nevinson added: “We know that children can be fussy eaters, but one of the best things you can do for their health is to fill their plate with colourful fruit and veg.

“Ensuring they’re eating a healthy, balanced diet, including their five-a-day, can help them optimise their intake of different vitamins and minerals.

“Try to avoid giving them lots of processed and sugary foods, as well as saturated fats, too – that’s not to say ice cream and cookies are completely off the table, it’s just about balance and moderation.”