Final answer:
An employee with norovirus should not come to work due to its highly contagious nature and risk of spreading the virus. Symptoms include diarrhea, cramps, and sometimes vomiting, and the illness typically resolves in a few days. Detection is through PCR or EIA testing, and patients should stay home until no longer symptomatic.
Step-by-step explanation:
An employee diagnosed with norovirus should refrain from coming to work, primarily due to the highly contagious nature of the virus and the potential risk it poses to others. Norovirus is responsible for causing gastroenteritis, with symptoms such as watery diarrhea, mild cramps, and fever, and can sometimes lead to projectile vomiting.
The incubation period for the illness is 12 to 48 hours post-exposure, and while the infection typically resolves within a couple of days without treatment, it can result in dehydration. Measures such as PCR or EIA testing can be utilized for detection. Due to the ease of transmission through direct contact, contaminated surfaces, or food, and how outbreaks can swiftly affect groups in confined spaces, it is crucial for infected individuals to observe good hygiene and avoid workplaces until they are no longer symptomatic and have been cleared by a healthcare professional.