February 8, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Lisa Huddleston, manager of communications
OR
Tonda Francis, vice president
Greater Cincinnati Health Council
(513) 531-0200
Visitor Restrictions at Greater Cincinnati Hospitals to
Continue Through March 15
Visitors Under 14 or Those with Respiratory Symptoms Should Not Visit
While illness due to H1N1 has waned, seasonal flu-like respiratory illnesses that typically impact the Tristate during winter necessitate that area hospitals continue to enforce regional visitor restrictions through mid-March.
“Unless respiratory diseases are still highly prevalent in the Tristate, most hospitals will end visitor restrictions on or about March 15,” says Tonda Francis, vice president of the Greater Cincinnati Health Council. “By that date, the winter flu season is generally behind us.”
Throughout the region, Greater Cincinnati hospitals will continue to enforce the following restrictions:
- No visitation by anyone who is ill with any respiratory symptoms including coughing or fever, etc.
- No visitation by anyone under age 14
The limited visitation policies aim to minimize the spread of respiratory illnesses to health care workers, and especially to hospital patients. “We know it’s hard for family members and friends to stay away when their loved ones are sick in the hospital,” says Francis. “But it’s important to remember that a visitor’s cough or sneeze could turn into much more than that if it is passed on to a sick person whose system is already compromised. We know visitors wouldn’t want to make their loved ones any sicker than they already are.”
In addition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center continues to implement restrictions that further limit visitation to parents and guardians only.
“If you are sick, please use good common sense to prevent the spread of germs that may make others sick,” Francis says. “If you have a fever, cough or other respiratory illness, don’t visit patients in hospitals or nursing homes. The best precaution is to just stay home. If you must go out, remember to cover your cough and wash your hands frequently,” adds Francis. Vaccines are still readily available and effective in preventing the flu.
To prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends careful hand-washing, coughing and sneezing into a sleeve or a tissue, and staying home from work or school at least 24 hours after fever free.
For more information on flu prevention, visit www.flu.gov.
# # #