More restrictions on hospital visitors
Officials hope tighter guidelines will help patients, staff avoid H1N1 fluBy ANNE BLANKENSHIP Daily Freeman-Journal Managing Editor and The Associated Press
Fact Box
Health officials recommend people practice the Three Cs:
Clean hands frequently.
Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your sleeve.
Contain germs by staying home from work or school when ill.
Starting today, it will be a little tougher to visit patients at Hamilton Hospital, especially for those under age 18 or who show any signs of illness.
Carla Johnson, the infection prevention nurse at the hospital said the new visitation limitations include allowing no more than two adult visitors at a time per patient, restricting any one under age 18 and anyone who exhibits signs or symptoms of influenza.
"Signs of influenza include a fever greater than 100.4 degrees F., a cough, sore throat, runny nose, shortness of breath, fatigue, chills, muscle pain, headache, vomiting or diarrhea," according to Johnson.
Johnson said she took part in a conference call earlier this week with officials from the Iowa Department of Health.
"We're in a bit of a lull now, but the Iowa Department of Public Health is concerned that we will see a surge in H1N1 after the holidays, and then another surge of H1N1 with the seasonal flu," she commented.
"We want to be proactive to our patient's and employee's health," she said.
State health officials said 16 people, including one child, have died from the virus in Iowa as of Tuesday, and 500 others have been hospitalized. Health officials are recommending anyone in a high-risk group be vaccinated. That includes pregnant women, people who live or work with children under 6 months old, children 6 months to 4 years and people ages 5 through 64 who have chronic medical conditions.
Johnson said the hospital has also suspended several programs, including hospital school tours, support groups and classes that include infants less than 6 months of age, and sibling birth classes.
Hospital and birth center tours will still be conducted and prenatal classes for expectant parents will continue after participants under go a brief health screening before entering the class. Johnson said the screenings would include having a temperature taken and a check for symptoms.
She said most of the employees have had the H1N1 vaccination. She said only a couple of confirmed cases of H1N1 have been admitted to Hamilton Hospital. Hamilton County is in the region of the state that has had the second highest number of cases reported. But Johnson stressed that the region is a 16-county area.
"To date, there has been no confirmed cases of seasonal flu in Iowa," Johnson said.
Johnson urged area residents to continue to be proactive to help prevent the spread of the disease by following the "Three Cs:"
Clean your hands frequently;
Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your sleeve; and
Contain germs by staying home when ill.
More H1N1 flu shot clinics planned
Hamilton County Public Health will hold an H1N1 flu vaccine clinic on Saturday for ages 6 months through 5 years.
The clinic will be held at the public health office from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and appointments are required, according to officials. Call 832-9565 to make an appointment. This clinic is not for children needing a second dose.
There will also be a clinic for children ages 10 through 18 on Saturday, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Webster City middle school commons area. This will be a walk-in clinic so no appointment is needed.
More clinics are planned for the next two weeks with times and dates to be announces as soon as the vaccine supply in known, officials said.
For information about the H1N1 virus call Hamilton County Public Health at 832-9565, or the IDPH flu hotline at 800-447-1985.
Contact Anne Blankenship at editor@freemanjournal.net or call 832-4350.
