This from IW NHS, Ed
The appeal from the Isle of Wight NHS Trust follows anecdotal evidence of diarrhoea and vomiting cases in the Island’s community.
Shaun Stacey, Chief Operating Officer at St. Mary’s Hospital, said:
“Whilst we cannot confirm that these community cases are norovirus, we do have one single confirmed case of the illness in the hospital so it is likely there is also norovirus in the community. We are doing everything we can to ensure the risk of cross-contamination is limited, and this includes maintaining the highest levels of cleanliness.”
Restricted visiting for Stroke Unit
Shaun went on to say,
“Unfortunately, we are also having to restrict visiting hours on our Stroke Unit. Whilst this is a last resort, it is a necessary step to protect both our staff and patients and to stop this bug in its tracks. Visiting times for Stroke Unit are being restricted to essential visiting only (2-4pm and 7-8pm), and we would kindly request that children are not brought onto the ward at this time.”
Public’s support needed
He finished by saying,
“We do also need the public’s support to help us contain this highly contagious illness. You must not visit the hospital, or any healthcare setting, until you have been free of symptoms for 48 hours. If you are clear of symptoms and do need to visit, please make sure you clean your hands when you enter and leave the building, as well as entering and leaving clinical areas. Please make sure you use both soap and water, as well as hand gel which is widely available.”
Further details and advice about diarrhoea and vomiting are available on the NHS Choices website
Image: arlingtonva under a CC BY-SA 2.0 license
