Windsor Regional Hospital is declaring its first flu outbreak of the season.
Infection Prevention and Control Manager, Erika Vitale, says two positive cases of Influenza B and another two probable cases at the Ouellette Campus pushed her to declare the outbreak.
Vitale noticed on Tuesday cases were taking a turn for the worse at the hospital.
"Most of our patients were sick when they did come to us but, we did identify that we had four individuals who had developed symptoms likely while they were under our roof on the seventh floor at Ouellette Campus," says Vitale.
According to Vitale, there were 20 influenza cases at the Ouellette Campus during the whole of the last flu season — there are already 21 confirmed cases this season.
AM800 file photo
Vitale stresses there are a number of measures being put in place to stop the spread of the flu including keeping patients showing symptoms in bed as much as possible.
"We try to limit any movement throughout the building so, we try not to transfer people off the unit unless it's a medical necessity — that would just lead to exposing other individuals in other areas."
Vitale says the current policy of two visitors per patient will be maintained and stresses anyone who is feeling under the weather should avoid coming to the hospital to visit if possible.
Vitale is hoping by declaring a flu outbreak, staff will be able to get ahead of the problem and stop the spread.
"When we have a cluster of patients like that we do declare an outbreak so that we can put some preventative measures in place to hopefully stop the spread within the building — like stop the spread to staff and stop the spread to other patients that are present on the unit as well."
Vitale adds there isn't a time frame for the outbreak to be lifted.