Final answer:
The manager should ask the food worker to take sick leave to prevent the spread of norovirus in the nursing home. This action is crucial to protect the residents and aligns with established protocols for managing infectious diseases. Thorough hygiene practices and disinfection protocols should be enforced in the meantime.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a food worker at a nursing home reports exposure to norovirus, it is essential for the manager to take immediate action to prevent the spread of the virus, especially in a vulnerable environment such as a nursing home. The manager must ask the worker to take a sick leave until they are no longer contagious. This is because norovirus is highly contagious and can spread quickly through contaminated food or surfaces.
By following this protocol, the manager ensures that the worker does not contaminate the food or the environment, hence safeguarding the health of the nursing home residents. This precaution aligns with well-established health procedures designed to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, such as isolation of the infected individual and adherence to stringent hygiene practices.
In the meantime, the manager should enforce strict disinfection protocols within the facility and monitor other staff and residents for potential symptoms of norovirus, taking further action if anyone else starts showing signs of illness.