Vomiting bug spreads to more Highland hospitals
A VOMITING bug has spread to more hospitals in the Highlands with four wards now closed to new admissions.
NHS bosses are asking people not to visit until staff can get the virus under control.
Surgical ward 3C in Raigmore Hospital shut on Friday and the in-patient ward at Nairn Town and County Hospital was closed on Thursday.
Both wards remain closed with four patients in Ward 3C affected, 13 patients at Nairn affected whilst a number of staff are recovering at home.
However, the County Community Hospital in Invergordon, which was closed on Saturday has eight patients affected whilst the Lawson Memorial Hospital in Golspie, which was closed as of this morning, currently has 10 patients affected.
Initial testing done on Invergordon has indicated that the symptoms are caused by norovirus. We are still awaiting test results for Lawson Memorial. Testing has already confirmed norovirus in both Raigmore and Nairn.
The virus, which causes diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting, spreads in the air where someone has had diarrhoea or vomited and is extremely difficult to contain.
Dr Adam Brown, Consultant Microbiologist for NHS Highland, said: “We know that norovirus is out there in the community and it is likely it has been brought into our hospitals.
“As well as restricting visiting to the affected wards we are also asking people not to come to the hospitals to visit if they have had any vomiting or diarrhoea within the previous 48 hours. By doing this we will be able to limit the spread as much as possible.
“Hospital staff will of course be very happy to talk to visitors on the phone so they can get updates on how their relatives are.”
There is no specific treatment for a norovirus infection and it is not usually necessary to visit a doctor. The best course of action is to stay at home, take paracetamol to relieve symptoms of any fever and to drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration. People should also adhere to strict hand washing techniques to reduce the spread of the virus.
