Urgent questions from a new member

[Morphy]

Hi All. This is my first post. I am 39, and have never been sick (touch wood). I have suffered with emetophobia for as long as I can remember, however for the last few years it has been more manageable thanks to a behavourial therapy group I attended. For a time I even managed to think "So what if I'm sick, I'll deal with it when it happens" - this worked for a while as I didn't feel that there was any threat or reason for me to be sick. However, this year, due to all of the media coverage of the norovirus my phobia is worse than ever before - I am staying away from work and not socialising. I would be grateful if anybody could help answer the following which might put my mind at rest and help me to start to function normally again:

1 A friend visited a restaurant for lunch last Saturday - there were 20 people at the lunch and they all ate difference things. The following day 19 of them came down with noro, as did people on the next table (a separate party). The environmental health were involved and confirmed it was noro - how could 2 tables of people all have contracted the bug at the same time if it isn't airborne?

2 I am washing my hands obsessively, and not touching door handles or any communal areas unless I absolutely have to, and wash my hands before putting them anywhere near my mouth. However, how long do other peoples germs survive for? If I sat on a chair which had been near v**, and then later touched my trousers, could I pick up germs from my trousers that sat on the chair? Also, I am struggling to eat as if somebody had v** on their hands and touched food in the supermarket, could I then pick up the germs from the food packaging when they are in my house and transfer them on to the food? I have tried to find out information on this on the internet but can't find anything from a reliable source. I appreciate that if I touch the germs directly with my own hands and then touch my mouth/food I could catch noro, but can the germs transfer between inanimate objects such as a chair to my jeans?

Sorry if this sounds over the top but am really suffering at the moment and need some advice. Thanks.

[Natiebear]

I heard a story like this before. There was an outbreak in Chicago where like 100 people got sick from a banquet hall. They linked it to a person who was ill preparing the food and not having clean hands. If you research it there are not many cases of it from big parties like that. To me it seems rare when you think of how many parties and establishments serve every day. I have eaten at tons of places in big crowds and never been sick.

[hairyfairy]

Never been sick! that`s amazing, how have you managed to be so healthy all your life?