Durham VA latest hospital to restrict visitors during flu season
Add the Durham VA Medical Center to the list of North Carolina hospitals limiting visitors during flu season.
Posted — Updated
So far this winter, 17 people have died of flu in the state, including a burst of 9 deaths reported between Dec. 21 and Dec. 27.
The Durham VA is asking anyone 18 and younger to avoid the Fulton Street medical center and community-based outpatient clinics.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said North Carolina is one of the most active states for the flu in the nation. Thirty-six states have reported widespread cases of the flu, meaning flu cases have been confirmed in more than half of a state.
More than 1,700 people have been hospitalized this winter across the country for the flu, with sufferers over age 65 requiring hospitalization the most. Nationwide, 15 children have died from the flu.
Numerous other area hospitals, including UNC Hospitals, Rex in Raleigh and the Fayetteville VA, have put restrictions in place, barring visitors younger than 18 and those with a fever or cough to limit the spread of the virus.
The flu season runs from October to May. Last season, 107 people in North Carolina died from influenza.
• Credits
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
