The NHS in York and
North Yorkshire is calling on residents and communities for help to prevent the
spread of winter infections.

An outbreak of influenza
or norovirus in hospital could have serious consequences for patients who are
already poorly and can lead to entire wards being shut down and quarantined,
putting an additional strain on NHS resources at a time when they are most in
demand.

With the number of
cases of norovirus starting to rise in our communities – not uncommon at this
time of year – health leaders from York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
and clinical commissioning groups in York and North Yorkshire are appealing
directly to people with symptoms of influenza or norovirus to act responsibly and
stay away from GP surgeries, hospitals and other healthcare settings, where
possible.

NHS Scarborough and
Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) Chairman, Dr Phil Garnett, said:
“When we have loved ones who are poorly and in hospital, it’s natural we want
to be with them, even if we’re feeling under the weather ourselves.

“However, influenza
and norovirus are particularly contagious and the risk of passing these infections
on to the person you are visiting in hospital who may already be quite ill – as
well as other sick people and hospital staff – is extremely high.

“When a flu or
norovirus outbreak occurs, particularly in an environment like a hospital, it
is difficult to contain and can lead to the closure of entire wards, putting a
huge strain on local NHS resources at a time of year when they are most in
demand.”

York Teaching Hospital
NHS Foundation Trust Chief Nurse, Heather McNair, added: “Closing wards helps
us to contain an outbreak, but it means beds become unavailable and pressure is
created throughout the entire system. Visitors can help by staying away if they
have the flu or diarrhoea and vomiting and for at least two days after their
symptoms have stopped.”

Norovirus is the most
common stomach bug in the UK, affecting people of all ages. Like the flu, it spreads
rapidly in closed environments such as hospitals, schools and care homes. It
can be spread through contact with an infected person, by contact with
contaminated surfaces or by consuming contaminated food or water.

Typical symptoms of a
norovirus infection include the sudden onset of projectile vomiting and watery
diarrhoea. Some people also experience headaches, mild temperature and stomach
cramps.

There is no treatment
for norovirus but it is important people who have the winter vomiting bug keep
hydrated to combat the loss of fluids. People with norovirus will recover in a
day or two, but will remain infectious for up to three days after recovery.

Common symptoms of flu
include a high temperature, fatigue, headache, general aches and pains and a
dry, chesty cough. The best remedy is to rest at home, keep warm and drink
plenty of water to avoid dehydration. Paracetamol or ibuprofen may help lower a
high temperature and relieve aches.

Anyone who thinks they
may have flu or norovirus is advised not to visit a GP surgery, but to stay at
home and call NHS 111 for advice if necessary.

There are simple steps
people can take to reduce the risk of spreading norovirus:-

• Thorough hand washing – wet, lather, scrub, rinse and dry
• Don’t prepare food while infected
• Immediately clean and disinfect surfaces after episodes of diarrhoea and vomiting
• Wash clothes and bed linen that may be contaminated thoroughly
• Drink plenty of fluids – stay away from caffeine and pay particular attention to the young and elderly for signs of dehydration

To reduce the risk of
spreading flu, people should regularly clean surfaces such as door handles,
telephones and computer keyboards to get rid of germs (hand contact with
infected surfaces is a common way for a virus to spread), use tissues to cover
the mouth when coughing or sneezing, put used tissues in the bin as soon as
possible and wash hands regularly.

For more information please visit www.nhs.uk/norovirus and www.nhs.uk/flu