Edward Hospital announced Monday new restrictions on visitors put in place because of H1N1 flu fears.
All visitors under age 18 are prohibited, including those who want to visit a newborn sibling. All others, regardless of age, are asked to refrain from visiting, if possible. You should not visit if you have any upper respiratory signs or symptoms. Patients and visitors with any upper respiratory signs and symptoms such as cough, fever, sore throat or general fatigue will be asked to wear a mask from the time they arrive until they leave or are instructed otherwise.
One can easily imagine a scenario where a parent is dying or facing serious surgery and the family wants to visit one last time, but is denied because of this policy. Of course, one can also imagine a sick visitor spreading an infection that sweeps through the vulnerable hospital population. Do you think this is something that has to be done, or is the hospital overreacting?
Ken wrote: "I think Edwards is over reacting. They should have just asked visitors to use common sense, ie, if you have flu or cold symptoms don't visit."
Common sense is a thing in very short supply these days. A cashier at Menard's handed a receipt to me last week just after she sneezed into her hand. I immediately went to Walgreen's to get a hand sanitizer.
Some or many (most?) people are only concerned about their own issues and don't give a darn that they may have the flu or a cold and that there may be fragile people near by that they're infecting. I think the hospital is doing the right thing.
Is the hospital overreacting?
I'm guessing that 99& of the people who post here, myself included, are in no position to give an educated opinion on this. Let the professionals make the call based on their education, training, research, and professional judgment, without a bunch of armchair-quarterbacks protesting every little decision.
This is standard practice elsewhere during this pandemic (not a scare word; just the appropriate word). Kids are very exposed to things at school and are the most common carriers. Hospitals have more than just one patient and people need to keep this in mind. What really helps push a rule like this into place (coming from a family member who works at another Hospital) is the fact that a lot of parents just let their kids run around all over the place and often times they are going into and out of other rooms with other patients. Not good. Their place is allowing kids when it is a Mom or Dad or other immediate family member they are visiting but not outside that scope. I'm not sure if Edwards has the exceptions or not.
Had they not enacted this, someone would get lawsuit happy for them not doing enough to keep all the patients safe.
I think Edwards is over reacting. They should have just asked visitors to use common sense, ie, if you have flu or cold symptoms don't visit. I went through plasmapheresis, and the hospital I was at did just that, having me warn visitors ahead of time not to come if they did not feel well.
I was in the hospital for almost two months, and visitors were the only thing that kept me from going crazy. Denying patients visitors only will increase the patient's stress. Also, I would hope exceptions would be made for those wanting to visit a dying relative.