“Our hospitals are taking proactive, temporary steps to protect patient safety and maintain access to care for our community,” said Sarah Hackenbracht, GDAHA president and CEO.
The restrictions will be:
- No visitation by anyone who is ill with any respiratory symptoms including coughing, fever, chills, headache, vomiting, sore throat, muscle aches or diarrhea.
- No visitation by anyone under age 14 even if they have received the seasonal influenza vaccine or receive the appropriate vaccine when it becomes available.
“We know how important it is for patients to have the support of loved ones, and these decisions are not made lightly. These measures help reduce the spread of illness and support our health care teams as they care for patients across the region,” Hackenbracht said.
Area hospitals and ambulatory care sites are currently seeing higher-than-normal volumes of patients with positive cases of respiratory illnesses, including influenza, COVID-19 and other seasonal viruses, according to GDAHA.
Statewide, hospitalizations for respiratory illnesses have been slowly increasing since November, but the latest week showed 752 hospitalizations for the week ending Dec. 13, according to the most recent data available from the Ohio Department of Health.
Of those hospitalizations, 327 were for COVID-19 cases, 318 were for the flu and 107 for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), according ODH data.
The local breakdown for the most recent week of data shows:
- In Butler County, 10 hospitalizations for COVID-19, 19 for the flu and eight for RSV
- In Clark County, four hospitalizations for COVID-19, seven for the flu and none for RSV
- In Montgomery County, 32 hospitalizations for COVID-19, 37 for the flu and 18 for RSV
Limiting visitors for hospital patients when there is a higher risk of spreading contagious illnesses like respiratory viruses is a standard infection prevention practice, according to GDAHA.
Hospitals are asking community members to postpone visiting if they are feeling unwell, especially if experiencing symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat or congestion.
For visitors who are permitted into area hospitals, GDAHA is encouraging them to follow all hospital guidance, including hand hygiene and masking when requested.
Visitor restrictions are temporary and will be reviewed regularly based on illness trends and hospital conditions. Exceptions may be made for pediatric patients, labor and delivery, end-of-life care and other special circumstances, according to GDAHA.
GDAHA is a member-service organization representing 29 hospitals and health systems in the Dayton region. GDAHA collaborates with its members to improve the delivery of health care services in Auglaize, Butler, Darke, Champaign, Clark, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Preble, Shelby, and Warren counties in West Central Ohio.
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