Influenza is hitting our community hard. Shore Regional Health is seeing increased admissions and ED visits for influenza like illness (ILI).
As a result, a modified visitor’s policy has been implemented as of Thursday, February 1. Please visit the UM SRH intranet site for more information and downloadable information for patients and visitors.
To protect patients and staff, the following guidance must be implemented:
- Any patient with respiratory symptoms must be asked to wear a mask until they are triaged. Provide tissues and hand sanitizer in all waiting areas.
- In waiting areas patients with ILI should be seated at least 6 feet away from those who do not have respiratory illness.
- Implement Droplet Precautions for patients with suspected or confirmed influenza. These precautions must be maintained for at least 7 days after illness onset or until 24 hours after the resolution of fever and respiratory symptoms, whichever is longer, while a patient is in a healthcare facility.
- Employees with respiratory symptoms and fever (at or above 100.4F or 38C) must be excluded from work until at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever (without the use of fever-reducing medicines such as acetaminophen). There are other contagious viruses circulating that mimic the flu so this restriction applies regardless of whether the employee received the flu vaccine.
- Employees with respiratory symptoms that develop while at work should stop patient-care activities, don a facemask and promptly notify their manager/supervisor and Employee Health Services before leaving work.
- Those with on-going respiratory symptoms should be considered for evaluation for appropriateness of contact with patients. After returning to work employees should wear a face mask during patient care activities if still coughing.
- Hand hygiene must be performed at least before and after patient contact.
- Employee work areas such as computers, phones, keyboards, and horizontal surfaces must be cleaned with the hospital approved germicidal cleaner frequently.
- No eating/drinking in work areas. Drinks should be covered and placed in the designated drink areas. Food should not be shared with others.
- Visitors with flu like symptoms or GI illness must be asked to postpone their visit unless there are special circumstances such as end of life.Thank you for helping to prevent the spread of infection. Please contact Infection Prevention and Control if you have questions.