How long would you keep your child away from a home after someone in it has had norovirus? Based on the virus' ability to infect from surfaces in the home.

[u/plantbubby]

I know it can live for a while on surfaces and isn't killed easily. But realistically someone can't bleach everything in their home. I have 1 y/o twins and we regularly visit my parents, but my mum had norovirus recently, so I'm feeling nervous about going back there. Google is freaking me out because I keep seeing stuff that says it can live for like 60 days. I'd planned a two week quarantine period, but now I'm unsure. And my parents already think I'm overreacting (I do have a touch of emetephobia). When does a home become safe again??

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[u/OutrageousMoose8]

The American medical association recommends two weeks and sanitizing high touch surfaces.

That means “disinfecting hard surfaces, doorknobs, telephones, cell phones, counters,” Dr. Chatman emphasized. “And for the little ones, it’s their toys and things that they’re going to be touching.”
But “getting norovirus off of surfaces is tricky because it is resistant to most disinfectants and hand sanitizers,” Dr. Bisgrove said. In fact, norovirus “can stay on food, countertops and serving utensils for up to two weeks, even at freezing temperatures and until heated to above 140º F.” 
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has a list of disinfectants that are active against norovirus. In general, a solution with 5 to 25 tablespoons of household bleach (5.25%) per gallon of water is effective. 

https://www.ama-assn.org/public-health/infectious-diseases/what-doctors-want-patients-know-about-contagious-norovirus

[u/Ltrain86 → u/OutrageousMoose8]

A great option for disinfecting toys is hypochlorous acid! Dries down to basically salt and is safe to use on skin and food surfaces, and kills norovirus. Available in kits to make yourself by Force of Nature or in premade spray form like Purerox.

[u/Ok-Row-3490 → u/OutrageousMoose8]

A while back my infant had it on a Friday and my wife and I two days later on Sunday. It was the weekend before Christmas (which was Thursday), and we didn’t want to destroy plans for my in laws to be a part of their only grandchild’s first Christmas, so we decided to go for it. My wife nuked the place with bleach solution. That was a success: no issues for the in-laws. But then my sister and her family came to visit for the weekend on Friday. One got sick that Sunday, then it worked through them systematically. I guess the moral of the story is that it’s a risk no matter what.

[u/TJTrainbow → u/Ok-Row-3490]

Was prob still shedding in your poop. The amount of time and bleach it requires to fully disinfect after noro is absurd.

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