Health
Cases of norovirus or stomach flu climb steadily across US: 'This is the season for it'
Norovirus cases continue to climb across US
Fox News medical contributor Dr. Marc Siegel joins ‘Fox & Friends’ to explain how norovirus spreads and how to treat it, and he discusses the growing frustration among diabetes patients as medications are in limited supply.
Cases of norovirus, also known as the stomach flu, are rising across the country.
Specifically, in the northeastern U.S., positivity rates have hit 13.4% as of Feb. 17, as reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Norovirus is very contagious, according to the CDC. It can cause diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and stomach pain.
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The stomach bug can be spread through contaminated food or water, as well as through contact with sick people and contaminated surfaces.
Fox News medical contributor Dr. Marc Siegel addressed the uptick in cases during a Monday appearance on “Fox & Friends.”
Norovirus is very contagious, according to the CDC, and can cause diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and stomach pain. (iStock)
The NYU Langone physician said that while washing your hands is an effective prevention strategy, norovirus can still spread through food.
“It gets in food, it gets in waste,” he said.
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“People are touching each other’s hands, food handlers spread it. It’s spread indoors because everybody’s indoors [during] the winter.”
Siegel said he asked Mandy Cohen, the CDC’s director, on Sunday if the agency plans to test wastewater to examine virus spread, and her answer was “no.”
Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News medical contributor, joined “Fox & Friends” on Monday, Feb. 26, to discuss the spread of norovirus cases that is occurring right now. (Fox News)
“That surprised me because we’re starting to use wastewater analysis everywhere,” he said.
“I think that that’s probably a good idea.”
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The “biggest problem” with norovirus, according to Siegel, is that it causes dehydration due to symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea.
“The elderly end up in the hospital – 100,000 of them a year,” he said.
“It’s the most common kind of stomach flu we have [and] this is the season for it.”
Consuming electrolytes is “key” to preventing dehydration caused by norovirus, according to Dr. Siegel. (iStock)
He added, “If you have these symptoms, it’s norovirus.”
To ensure proper hydration, Siegel recommended taking “something with electrolytes,” such as Gatorade or Pedialyte.
“Drink plenty of it,” he said. “That’s the key to the treatment. [There’s] no vaccine, no pill for it.”
There is no medication available to treat people with norovirus illness, the CDC stated on its website.
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Yoga is known to boost relaxation, strength and flexibility – and now a new study has found the practice could improve cancer survivors’ quality of life.
A randomized trial led by the University of Rochester Medical Center found that a four-week yoga program significantly reduced insomnia, fatigue, anxiety and mood disturbances after cancer treatment.
The findings were presented last week at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago.
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The study was conducted across multiple U.S. community cancer care sites, including 410 adult cancer survivors averaging 54 years of age. Around 75% were breast cancer survivors, and none of them had practiced yoga regularly within the prior three months.
A randomized trial led by the University of Rochester Medical Center found that a four-week yoga program significantly reduced insomnia, fatigue, anxiety and mood disturbances in cancer survivors. (iStock)
The participants were randomly assigned to two groups. Half of them received only standard survivorship care without the yoga, while the other half received standard care and were also enrolled in the Yoga for Cancer Survivors (YOCAS) program.
As part of the YOCAS program, the survivors completed two instructor-led 75-minute yoga sessions each week, including 18 Gentle Hatha yoga and Restorative yoga poses, breathing exercises and mindfulness training.
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Based on questionnaires completed by the patients, the survivors in the yoga group experienced “moderate-to-large” reductions in overall mood disturbance, “small-to-medium” reductions in anxiety and “medium-to-large” reductions in fatigue, the study found.
The improvements in mood and fatigue appeared to be linked to yoga’s beneficial effect on sleep quality, according to the researchers.
As part of the YOCAS program, the survivors completed two instructor-led 75-minute yoga sessions each week, including 18 Gentle Hatha yoga and Restorative yoga poses, breathing exercises and mindfulness training. (iStock)
“This indicates that cancer survivors have an option to alleviate these cancer-related side effects at the same time, without adding another drug,” lead investigator Yuri Choi, PhD, of the Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, in Rochester, New York, told Fox News Digital.
The study did not reveal any major safety concerns or serious adverse events related to the yoga practice.
“This indicates that cancer survivors have an option to alleviate these cancer-related side effects at the same time, without adding another drug.”
The study did have some limitations, chiefly that the findings are preliminary and have not yet been peer-reviewed for a medical publication.
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“The sample in our clinical trial was relatively homogeneous, with most participants being women (96%), breast cancer patients (75%), Caucasian (93%), and having some college or higher education (82%),” noted Choi.
“We are adapting our intervention to reach all cancer patients and survivors, including the creation of a mobile app to reach people in rural communities.”
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The research also excluded patients with metastatic cancer (whose disease had spread to other parts of the body).
The total study was only four weeks, so more research is needed to determine long-term benefits.
If the findings are confirmed by peer-reviewed publications, this could lead to recommendations for structured yoga programs as a non-drug supportive therapy for cancer survivors, the researchers noted. (iStock)
If the findings are confirmed by peer-reviewed publications, this could lead to recommendations for structured yoga programs as a non-drug supportive therapy for cancer survivors, the researchers noted.
Some yoga studios may use different names for Gentle Hatha and Restorative yoga, such as Foundations Yoga or Healing Yoga, Choi noted.
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“Survivors should also look for certified yoga instructors who have experience working with cancer patients/survivors or individuals with other challenging health conditions,” the researcher advised. “They should not be afraid to ask their oncology team for referrals to qualified instructors in their community.”
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Choi also noted that the research did not reveal whether other types of yoga, such as heated-room or rigorous-flow yoga, are safe or beneficial for cancer survivors.
The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute.
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