Posts Tagged ‘infection’

Visitors to hospitals in North and East
Yorkshire are being urged to help protect patients and staff by reducing the
spread of flu and other illnesses which are commonly associated with winter.

Flu, short for influenza, is a common
infectious viral illness spread by coughs and sneezes. It can prove fatal for
vulnerable people, with those aged 65 and over and with long-term health
conditions, including diabetes and kidney disease, particularly at risk.

At this time of year, a rise in the
numbers of cases of rotavirus and diarrhoea bugs is also common and these can
be equally disruptive if there is an outbreak in a hospital or other healthcare
setting.

York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation
Trust, which runs Scarborough Hospital, says there had been a number of
confirmed flu cases on the wards over the last few weeks which had led to some
bays being closed, putting beds out of action at a time of year when they are
most in demand.

Heather McNair, Chief Nurse at York
Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are asking people who have
been unwell with symptoms of flu not to visit the hospital until they have been
free of symptoms for at least two days. This is really important because the
virus is highly infectious and outbreaks can happen quickly.

“We ask that people think carefully
before paying any non-essential visits, and to keep hands clean and be vigilant
about hand washing. This is to keep the virus contained and to help visitors
keep themselves safe as well as their friends or relatives.”

Dr Charles Parker, who will become the
Clinical Chair of North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) when the
CCGs in Scarborough and Ryedale, Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby, and
Harrogate and Rural District are disestablished at the end of March next year,
added: “An outbreak of flu or norovirus in hospitals and other healthcare
settings can have serious consequences, both for patients who may already very
unwell, and on the hospital space that’s available to look after people.

“When there is an outbreak of flu or
another infection, it’s important this can be contained, but it may mean bays
and sometimes entire wards are quarantined and are not available.”

Hospital visitors are asked to:

• Stay away if they have signs or symptoms of the infection. Some of the main symptoms of flu include:
  – a high temperature (fever) of 38C (100.4F) or above
  – tiredness and weakness
  – a headache
  – general aches and pains
  – a dry, chesty cough
• Cold-like symptoms – such as a blocked or runny nose, sneezing, and a sore throat – can also be caused by flu, but they tend to be less severe than the other symptoms you have.
• Think carefully before paying any non-essential visits at this time
• Keep hands clean and be vigilant about hand washing.
• Respect the fact that if a ward is closed due to the virus, this also applies to visitors.  There are exceptions to this, and the ward sister can advise visitors if they feel they have exceptional circumstances.

You can protect yourself, your family
and other patients by getting yourself vaccinated. The flu vaccination is available
every year to help protect adults and children at risk of flu and its
complications.

The injected flu vaccine is offered
free on the NHS annually to:

• adults over the age of 18 at risk of
  flu (including everyone aged 65 and over)
• pregnant women
• children aged six months to two years
  at risk of flu

Many pharmacies also offer the flu
vaccination.

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