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81 View comments There is a huge number of cases of norovirus, or winter vomiting bug, this year. More than 800,000 cases have been confirmed since the summer, an 83 per cent increase on the same period last year. The real figure is likely to be much higher given that many cases are not reported. Preventative measures: The norovirus is easily spread through contaminated hands and surfaces so hygiene is key How can the spread of the infection be contained? The infection spreads easily from person to person through contaminated hands and surfaces, so hygiene is critical. It is particularly crucial for children and those handling food. Those who have had the infection must remain isolated for 48 hours after recovery to prevent others being infected. We have already seen hospital wards and schools closed after outbreaks. This is an effort to contain the virus and curb a potentially larger epidemic. Why does it happen every year? Norovirus is no different from other viruse

9 View comments The RBS Six Nations kicks off this weekend with the focus on a new look England. However, in Wales one young man has already made himself a star. And here Sportmail's new columnist George North opens up about life at the top of the game. The World Cup was one hell of an experience It feels like years ago now but I will keep hold of it — my first World Cup, my first full competition for my country. Welcome: George North has signed up as Sportsmail's Six Nations columnist With Ireland approaching we’ve looked back and spoken about that quarter-final. It was probably our best performance but in some ways Samoa was more significant. It was  must-win, we were getting smashed up by these massive Islanders and we still came away with the victory. The whole team grew in confidence after that. I owe the supporters a thank you Like all the players and the management, I really do want to thank the fans for their incredible support and for being so passion

3 View comments I remember games in detail because I go over them in the changing room. I sit by myself quietly for five minutes, thinking about what I did wrong and things I did right. I put the positive things away so that if you’re having a rough day in training you can call on them for strength. The bad things are what to work on. During the week Rob Howley will give us a list of positives and negatives. Obviously you want more plus signs than negatives on your sheet. Then you go through the footage. Over the line: George North scores Wales' third try in the thrilling 21-23 victory over Ireland I try not to read anything about me because if you start reading too much hype then you’ll get above yourself. Luckily, if I chirp up for a second the boys here or my dad at home will chop me down straight away. It goes the other way, too. A lot of people lost a lot of confidence in me at the start of the season and said I’d just had a lucky break with beginners’ luck a

2 View comments Warren Gatland has made it clear the Triple Crown is only half of what we can achieve. We need to keep our heads on and go all guns blazing to the end. The feeling of achievement was incredible but Grand Slam is a banished phrase in the camp. We’ve got a Test match and a big physical battle against Italy before we can even start thinking about it. We needed to beat England to prove ourselves after all the hype and cement this young squad together. We had a few beers to celebrate at the hotel as Gatland said we had earned the right to enjoy it together, but the job is half done. Crown princes: North and Cuthbert celebrate On the morning of the England game the first thing I saw was Sam Warburton’s face! We were sharing a room and he woke me up snoring away. When we got on the bus to Twickenham all you could see was a sea of white with occasional clumps of red jerseys. Those pockets of red meant a lot. There was a lot of traffic and at one point we didn’t

1 View comments Everyone knows it’s a big game, so let’s just play it. All the World Cup stuff is media hype. That was a game at the World Cup - this is a different tournament. France are playing a different type of rugby now and we’re playing a slightly different brand too. We need to cut off from all that and just play for 80 minutes. It’s about making sure my top two inches are right. Making sure your head is right is something Rob Howley has brought in. I know my stuff - where I need to be, my lines, what I hit, who I tackle, where I run. As long as my top two inches are fine then I’m happy. Obviously we do a lot of work with the body during the week but if your head is not right you’re going to look like Bambi on ice. Get your head right and your body will follow. Looking forward: Wales are focused on Saturday's game We got ourselves geed up against Italy but we didn’t fire on all cylinders. Basic errors and skills let us down. I think we went back a few step

1 View comments What a day! That was probably the best day of my life - certainly the best day of my rugby career. I believe we deserved that silverware and hopefully it’s just the start of something. The sun was shining in Wales on Sunday and everybody just seemed happier. Everyone was also wearing sunglasses because their eyes were sore... On Saturday morning there was an extra edge in the air. Everyone was trying to deny it but waking up on the morning of a Grand Slam game does feel different. Everyone was like, ‘Yeah I’m fine, just chilling out’, but most of the boys were buzzing. I certainly was: I woke up at a ridiculous time - 6.50am, and kick-off was not until 2.45pm. Grand Slam: George lifts the 6 Nations trophy For the bus ride into Cardiff one of the analysts had made a motivational video of all our best bits from the tournament. Cardiff was pounding even at midday. You should have seen the crowds. They were all going bonkers, I think everyone was already h

0 View comments The Australian press have been bigging us up ahead of the first Test. The TV advert that has been running in the build-up calls us the 'European champions' who are coming on to their turf. It's a bit over the top, but good marketing, good for ratings and it's quite funny. I guess we are European champions in a way, but in Wales we call it the Grand Slam! We trained for the first week out here with just 16 players so we're sevens specialists now. With the rest of the squad staying in Cardiff for the Barbarians match, it was a case of going through patterns of play, set pieces, strike patterns. The jet lag has been a nightmare but we knew we had to head out here early as we have a job to do. George North: Ready for action For a couple of days we had the help of a local team called Brothers Rugby Club, who are top of their provincial division. They came to train against us and were a decent outfit with a few good players. The