TL;DR – the short answer
To prevent norovirus in the workplace, rely on soap and water, not alcohol gel, step up cleaning of shared touchpoints, and use a bleach-based disinfectant (1,000 ppm chlorine) once surfaces have been cleaned. Ask anyone with vomiting or diarrhoea to stay off until 48 hours after symptoms stop. For flu, add fresh air, tissues and vaccination. Both viruses are at expected levels in mid-October 2026, but last winter norovirus reports peaked at 627 a week in January (UKHSA).
Every winter, the same pattern plays out in offices, factories and warehouses across the UK. One person comes in feeling “a bit off”, a shared kettle or door handle does the rest, and within days a team is down to half strength. Norovirus and flu spread in different ways, so a single “wipe everything down” approach often falls short.
This guide covers where both viruses stand as winter 2026 to 2027 begins and the cleaning steps that make the biggest difference.
627
Peak weekly positive norovirus laboratory reports in England last winter (week beginning 12 January 2026)
Source: UKHSA, 2026
39.7%
How far 2025 to 2026 norovirus reports were above the 5-season average (13,430 reports)
Source: UKHSA, 2026
78%
Share of organisations naming minor illness, such as colds, flu and stomach upsets, among their top three causes of short-term absence
Source: CIPD, 2025
UKHSA’s latest norovirus report, published on 15 October 2026, says activity “has varied in recent weeks and remains within expected levels”. Positive laboratory reports in weeks 40 and 41 (168 reports) were 18.6% lower than the 5-season average for the same fortnight. The season-to-date total of 1,631 reports is still 28.1% higher than average [1].
Last season is a useful warning. Norovirus reports in England climbed through December and peaked at 627 in the week beginning 12 January 2026 [2]. By the end of June, the 2025 to 2026 season had recorded 13,430 positive laboratory reports, 39.7% above the 5-season average [3].
For flu, UKHSA’s week 42 report shows activity “stable and circulating at baseline levels”: laboratory positivity was 6.0% and hospital admissions were 1.88 per 100,000 [4]. That will not last. In 2025 to 2026, flu activity started in the second half of October, peaked around the week beginning 8 December, and was dominated by the A(H3N2) subclade K strain [5]. The window for preparation is October and November, not January.
| Norovirus (winter vomiting bug) | Flu | |
|---|---|---|
| How it spreads | Close contact with someone who has it, touching contaminated surfaces then your mouth, and food handled by someone who is ill [6] | Germs from coughs and sneezes [7] |
| How long it survives on surfaces | Days or weeks [8] | Up to 24 hours on hands and surfaces [7] |
| Hand hygiene | Soap and warm water. Alcohol gels do not kill norovirus [8] | Wash hands often with soap and warm water; catch coughs and sneezes in tissues and bin them [7] |
| Surface disinfection | Bleach-based (chlorine) product, typically 0.1% sodium hypochlorite, 1,000 ppm [8] | Regular cleaning of frequently touched surfaces [9] |
| When staff should stay off | Until 48 hours after symptoms have stopped [8] | With a high temperature or if not well enough to work, until the temperature has gone [10] |
Myth to bust: hand sanitiser will not stop norovirus. If your winter plan is “more gel on the desks”, add well-stocked washbasins to it.
The single most effective control is people washing their hands with soap and warm water, especially after using the toilet and before eating or preparing food [8]. HSE’s welfare guidance already expects workplaces to provide hot and cold running water, enough soap, a means of drying hands, and to keep facilities “clean and in good condition” with an effective system for regular cleaning [11]. In winter, check soap and paper towels more often, especially around shift changes.
Norovirus guidance for healthcare settings notes that contaminated fingers can transfer the virus to up to seven clean surfaces in a row [12]. List your high-touch points and clean them more often from October to March:
Disinfectant does not work properly on a dirty surface. National norovirus guidance stresses that removing soiling first is essential, followed by disinfection with 0.1% sodium hypochlorite (1,000 ppm available chlorine), taking account of the manufacturer’s instructions on dilution, contact time and storage [12]. Hypochlorite can damage surfaces with repeated use and should not be used in poorly ventilated areas, so train staff and keep it for suspected norovirus and high-risk areas such as washrooms [12].
Vomit and faeces from someone with norovirus are highly infectious, so spills need clearing immediately with the right protective equipment [12]. Put together a simple spill kit (disposable gloves, apron, paper towels, waste bags and a suitable disinfectant) and close the area until it has been cleaned and disinfected.
Norovirus spreads easily through food. UKHSA advises that anyone who has had symptoms should avoid preparing food for others until 48 hours after their symptoms have stopped [8]. In staff kitchens, set clear rules on shared food and clean handles and worktops often.
UKHSA’s advice is not to return to work until 48 hours after norovirus symptoms have stopped [8]. For flu and other respiratory infections, people with a high temperature or who do not feel well enough to work should try to stay at home until they no longer have a temperature [10].
UKHSA’s workplace guidance on respiratory infections sets out three simple principles: let fresh air in, keep the workplace clean, particularly surfaces people touch a lot, and encourage vaccination [9]. Bringing fresh air into occupied spaces reduces the concentration of respiratory particles [9].
Vaccination makes a real difference. UKHSA modelling estimates that last winter’s flu vaccination programme prevented around 104,000 hospital admissions and 7,100 deaths in England [5].
Winter norovirus and flu readiness checklist
Minor illness is by far the main cause of short-term absence, named in the top three causes by 78% of organisations [13]. For what that costs UK businesses, see our UK Commercial Hygiene Report.
We are an owner-managed commercial and industrial cleaning company with over 20 years’ experience, working from our Telford headquarters at Halesfield and our Dudley office. We serve clients across Shropshire, Staffordshire and the West Midlands, and into Warwickshire, Worcestershire, the East Midlands and Wrexham. Our quality management system has been accredited to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 since 2010, and we have held Safecontractor accreditation since 2013.
When winter illness hits, these are the services that matter most:
Targeted deep cleaning and disinfection to reduce the spread of infection. Teams wear the correct PPE, including disposable overalls, masks and gloves, and the site uses NHS-approved disinfectant products.
Delivered in partnership with Infection Control Solutions 24/7, using ionised hydrogen peroxide (iHP) “dry mist” fogging, which is safe to use with electrical equipment left in place, for whole-room or whole-site decontamination.
Tailored plans and flexible daily, weekly or monthly schedules. These include attention to high-touch areas and regular disinfection of desks, keyboards and door handles, backed by regular quality checks.
Trained, supervised and DBS-checked teams, with digital cleaning audits and digital time and attendance tracking, so you can see that extra winter rounds are actually delivered.
Commercial kitchen deep cleaning
Specialist kitchen deep cleans that can work alongside in-house teams, with a hygiene certificate issued on completion.
Sector specialists
Dedicated teams for GP, dental and healthcare premises, schools and colleges and factories.
What a winter plan with us can include
Every plan is built around your building, headcount and opening hours. Products can be matched to the guidance above, such as a chlorine-based disinfectant where norovirus is suspected.
Get your site ready before the winter peak
Call 0800 566 8894 or contact our team to talk through touchpoints, washrooms and a winter cleaning schedule.
Make soap-and-water hand washing easy, clean frequently touched surfaces more often over winter, clean and then disinfect with a bleach-based (chlorine) product where norovirus is suspected, have a procedure for vomiting incidents, and ask staff with symptoms to stay at home until 48 hours after their symptoms have stopped.
No. UKHSA and the NHS both advise that alcohol-based hand gels do not kill norovirus. Washing hands with soap and warm water is the reliable option, particularly after using the toilet and before eating or preparing food.
UKHSA advises people not to return to work until 48 hours after their symptoms have completely stopped, and to avoid preparing food for others during that time, because they may still be shedding the virus.
UKHSA’s typical recommendation is a bleach-based solution of 0.1% sodium hypochlorite (1,000 parts per million available chlorine) for surfaces, used after visible soiling has been cleaned off and in line with the manufacturer’s instructions on dilution and contact time.
Norovirus can be caught at any time of year, but activity rises every winter. In the 2025 to 2026 season, weekly positive laboratory reports in England peaked at 627 in the week beginning 12 January 2026, according to UKHSA.
Yes. A professional cleaning company can carry out a targeted deep clean of the affected areas, concentrating on washrooms, kitchens and shared touchpoints, cleaning first and then disinfecting in line with national norovirus guidance. Prime Facility Services provides deep cleaning and disinfection for commercial and industrial sites across Shropshire, Staffordshire and the West Midlands. Call 0800 566 8894 to discuss your site.
Last winter, norovirus reports in England peaked at 627 a week in January, and flu took off in late October. Here’s how norovirus and flu spread at work, why hand gel isn’t enough, and the cleaning steps that make the biggest difference.
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