Searches for NHS advice on norovirus topped one million this
winter as NHS staff managed a quad-demic of viruses, according to
new NHS data.
There have been 1,021,436 visits to the norovirus advice in the
past 16 weeks (2 December to 23 March) – making it the most
visited condition on the NHS website this winter.
The surge in web page visits came as the NHS managed record
levels of norovirus cases in hospitals and compares to 729,822
visits to the advice on the bug over the same period last winter.
The number of visits to the flu page on the NHS website
also increased by half – from 471,158 last winter to 703,794
since the start of December
The webpage on respiratory syncytial virus /
RSV became one of the most viewed pages this winter with
614,214 visits after the NHS started vaccinating people against
the virus for the first time in its history.
RSV spreads all year round, but cases tend to increase in winter
– affecting the airways and lungs. For older adults, this can
lead to severe lung infections like pneumonia or other
life-threatening conditions.
Other pages with a high number of visits this winter include
chest infection with
800,772, fever in children with
676,436, sinusitiswith 595,624,
pneumonia with 589,614 and
shingles with 582,572
visits.
Meanwhile visits to the COVID-19 symptoms page fell
by 58% with 646,064 views compared to over 1.5 million during the
previous winter.
Duncan Burton, Chief Nursing Officer for England,
said: “The NHS has had an incredibly busy winter
with norovirus cases in hospital reaching a record high, but many
people have treated the virus at home.
“The NHS website is fantastic resource, and these latest
statistics show just how important it is for people seeking
instant advice about their health – with over one million visits
to the page on norovirus alone this winter.
“We also saw a surge in visits to the NHS advice on flu,
chickenpox and RSV – following the introduction of the RSV
vaccine for the first time on the NHS.
“I hope millions of people will continue to use the NHS website
throughout 2025 to help them and their families stay as healthy
as possible.”
To help stop the spread of norovirus it is important to wash your
hands frequently with soap and water, and if you're unwell to
avoid mixing with other people until you have not had symptoms
for two days. Using bleach-based products to clean contaminated
surfaces will also help stop the virus spreading.
If you or your child have norovirus you can usually treat it at
home and will start to feel better in 2 to 3 days. You should
stay at home, get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids such as
water or squash.
The NHS website, which is managed by NHS England, is the UK's
biggest health website with around 701 million visits throughout
2024 from people seeking information and advice.
It includes over 4,000 pages and provides information about 990
medical conditions. Other health services available on the
website include applying for a free UK Global Health Insurance
Card for healthcare cover abroad and finding a finding a GP.
