(SEYMOUR) – Schneck Medical Center has implemented visitor restrictions, effective immediately, to help protect patients, staff and the community from the spread of influenza.
“We’ve seen an increase in the number of people with flu-like symptoms in the last few weeks,” said Stacy East, an infection preventionist at the Seymour hospital.
No more than three visitors may be admitted to a patient’s room at one time.
Visitors include immediate family and significant others as identified by the patient. Visitors also must be 18 years old and older.
Anyone with the following symptoms is asked to refrain from visiting patients:
- Fever and/or chills
- Sore throat
- Muscle aches
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Cough
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Vomiting and/or diarrhea
All visitors must wash their hands (soap and water) or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer before and after visiting a patient. Hand sanitizer can be found throughout the hospital as well as outside each patient’s room.
East urged the public to get the flu vaccine as soon as possible in order to protect themselves for the rest of the season.
The hospital implements the restrictions to protect patients who may be more susceptible to getting flu and for staff who interact with the patients, Idlewine said.