Duke Health limits hospital visitors due to rise in respiratory illness cases locally and nationally

The Duke University Health System stated that hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers will temporarily limit patient visitations, effective Tuesday, Jan. 6. The release added that the restrictions will be reviewed if and when respiratory illness cases decline.
Posted 12/31/2025, 11:55:37 AM Updated 12/31/2025, 12:00:07 PM

SOUTHERN WAKE COUNTY TOLLS ARE

GOING UP $0.14.

>> TODAY WE'LL LEARN MORE ABOUT

HOW THE FLU IS SPREADING ACROSS

NORTH CAROLINA. THE STATE

DIVISION OF PUBLIC HEALTH WILL

GIVE ITS WEEKLY REPORT ON THE

NUMBER OF CASES NATIONWIDE.

THE CDC REPORTS 7 AND A HALF

MILLION CASES SO FAR THIS

SEASON, AT LEAST 8 CHILDREN

HAVE DIED, INCLUDING ONE IN

NORTH CAROLINA. DOCTORS SAY

FLU PATIENTS ARE EXPERIENCING

MORE SEVERE SYMPTOMS FOR A

LONGER STRETCH OF TIME. AND

IT'S NOT JUST FLU CASES FILLING

UP HOSPITAL BEDS, CASES OF

COVID RSV AND NOROVIRUS ARE

ALSO CLIMBING RIGHT NOW.

CAN A PATIENT BE SICK WITH

MULTIPLE VIRUSES AT ONE TIME?

YES. SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO GET

TESTED TO KNOW WHAT VIRUS YOU

HAVE.

>> AS WELL AS WHAT THE PROPER

TREATMENT WOULD BE.

WITH THE UPTICK. IN CASES,

DOCTORS ARE UNDERSCORING THE

IMPORTANCE OF VACCINATIONS.

>> AND RENEE, WITH ALL OF THIS

IN MIND, THAT IS WHY THAT DUKE

HEALTH SYSTEM HOSPITAL SAY THEY

ARE NOW GOING TO LIMIT PATIENT

VISITATIONS EFFECTIVE NEXT

TUESDAY, JANUARY 6 THAT THEY

FOLLOW WAKE MED AND CAPE FEAR,

VALLEY NOW THESE RESTRICTIONS

AT DUKE HEALTH WAS PART OF A

MULTI STEP APPROACH TO PROTECT

PATIENTS AND PREVENT THE SPREAD

OF FLU RSV AND COVID. THESE

TEMPORARY INITIATIVES INCLUDE

PATIENTS MAY RECEIVE NO MORE

THAN 2 VISITORS AT ONE TIME.

CHILDREN UNDER 12 ARE NOT

PERMITTED AND VISITORS ARE

URGED TO WEAR MASKS AND

VISITORS WITH FEVER, COUGH OR

OTHER FLU-LIKE SYMPTOMS.

SHOULD REMAIN HOME. THEY SAY,

OF COURSE, THESE RESTRICTIONS

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