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Hospitals ease visitor rules as H1N1 flu ebbs
Updated 12:14 pm
Des Moines? main hospitals are loosening their visitor policies now that the H1N1 flu outbreak has waned.
Iowa Health-Des Moines and Mercy Medical Center, which together run six of the area?s eight hospitals, announced today that they had lifted visitor restrictions, which were put in place in October.
Under those rules, children were not allowed to visit most patients, and no more than two adults at a time were allowed to visit any one person. The rules were designed to minimize the risk of infection with H1N1 flu, which peaked in October. Although the new flu continues to be present in the state, the number of cases has plummeted.
Regular, seasonal flu viruses have usually started sickening Iowans by this time of year, but that hasn?t happened yet. However, experts expect those viruses to appear soon. The hospitals will use their normal precautions to try to keep both kinds of flu viruses out. Those include asking people to stay away if they have fevers, coughs or sore throats.
Additionally, all visitors are being required to wash their hands with soap and water or alcohol-based gel. Some visitors are being asked to wear masks.
Updated 12:14 pm
Des Moines? main hospitals are loosening their visitor policies now that the H1N1 flu outbreak has waned.
Iowa Health-Des Moines and Mercy Medical Center, which together run six of the area?s eight hospitals, announced today that they had lifted visitor restrictions, which were put in place in October.
Under those rules, children were not allowed to visit most patients, and no more than two adults at a time were allowed to visit any one person. The rules were designed to minimize the risk of infection with H1N1 flu, which peaked in October. Although the new flu continues to be present in the state, the number of cases has plummeted.
Regular, seasonal flu viruses have usually started sickening Iowans by this time of year, but that hasn?t happened yet. However, experts expect those viruses to appear soon. The hospitals will use their normal precautions to try to keep both kinds of flu viruses out. Those include asking people to stay away if they have fevers, coughs or sore throats.
Additionally, all visitors are being required to wash their hands with soap and water or alcohol-based gel. Some visitors are being asked to wear masks.
