Hospitals Up Restrictions on Visitors

Hospitals are handing out stricter rules when it comes to visitors, and its all because of the flu virus. H1N1 has also caused a spike in emergent flu cases, local hospitals say.

Experts say the seasonal flu is not hitting people just yet. So, most flu cases are thought to be H1N1. Because of that, and the few recent deaths related to swine flu, hospitals are seeing more patients while asking for fewer visitors.

Memorial Hospital Centers will no longer allow anyone under 12 years of age to visit. Penrose-St. Francis Centers announced similar restrictions more than a week ago. Friday, Penrose-St. Francis raised its age limit to keep those 17 and under out of patient rooms. "These restrictions are no ill visitors,” said Stacey Knott, spokesperson for Penrose-St. Francis, in an interview with 11 News on October 5th. “If you have a runny nose, a cough, you're sneezing please do not come and visit."

"Unless you have serious complications, such as difficulty breathing, dehydration, things like that that require urgent or emergent care that's when you should come to the hospital," said Valentine.





Hospitals Up Restrictions on Visitors