Because of a rise in influenza infections among patients at Duke Health and throughout the Triangle, all Duke Health hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers will temporarily restrict patient visitations effective Thursday, March 17.
Visitors to hospital and ambulatory surgery patients will be limited to immediate family or designated caregivers who have no fever, cough or other flu-like symptoms.
The restrictions are part of a multi-step approach to protect patients and prevent the spread of influenza at Duke University Hospital, Duke Regional and Duke Raleigh hospitals, and the Duke and the James E. Davis ambulatory surgical centers.
Temporary restrictions include:
- Limiting visitors to two adults per patient at any one time. Limiting the number of visitors per patient will help control the spread of the illness.
- Not allowing children on hospital visits. Because children are more likely to get sick and spread the flu, staff will allow children under 18 to visit patients only in special cases or with prior approval from the patient’s health care team.
- Asking that visitors clean hands frequently. Hand hygiene stations have been placed throughout Duke Health facilities. Visitors are asked to clean their hands when entering and leaving the hospital either by washing with soap or rubbing their hands together with hand sanitizer from one of the stations.
- Asking that visitors stay home if they have symptoms of the flu. Signs of the flu include fever, cough, sneezing, runny nose or sore throat.
- Recommending that visitors get the flu vaccine if they haven’t already been vaccinated. Getting this simple shot can increase the chances of staying healthy and prevent others from getting sick.
Patients and visitors with questions about the temporary restrictions should feel free to ask any member of the patient’s care team for more information.