Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital
Activates Visitor Restrictions to Curb Spread of Flu
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[December 15, 2017]
LINCOLN
Illinois
is experiencing a severe flu season, with many people experiencing
flu-like symptoms throughout Illinois, according to the Illinois
Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC).
For the safety of patients and their families, Memorial Health
System is recommending visitors to its four hospitals – Memorial
Medical Center in Springfield, Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital in
Lincoln, Passavant Area Hospital in Jacksonville and Taylorville
Memorial Hospital – help prevent the spread of respiratory
infections by requesting that:
The
health system also encourages those accompanying outpatients at
Memorial facilities to consider these same recommendations.
“People who are ill shouldn’t visit someone in the hospital,” Val
Cooper, manager of nursing operations for Abraham Lincoln Memorial
Hospital, said. “This is true any time of year, but especially
during flu season.”
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Seasonal flu activity usually peaks in January and February,
beginning as early as October and ending as late as May, according to the CDC
website. As many as 20 percent of all Americans get the flu each year.
To prevent spread of the flu, the CDC recommends individuals take precautions to
avoid spreading germs, such as washing your hands thoroughly and often with soap
and water, covering your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough, and getting
your annual flu vaccination (available to those 6 months and older).
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Most people who get the flu recover completely in one to two weeks, but some
people develop serious and potentially life-threatening medical complications,
such as pneumonia, according to the IDPH. Over the past decade, influenza and
pneumonia have been associated with an average of 3,500 deaths a year in
Illinois.
For additional information about the flu, including symptoms and prevention,
visit the CDC website, CDC.gov. More information about the flu can be found on
Memorial’s Live Well blog, LiveWellMagazine.org, including frequently asked
questions.
[Michael Leathers, Memorial Health
System] |