If you’re
visiting a friend or family member or if you’re coming in for an outpatient
test or procedure, it’s important to follow basic infection prevention
principles – especially during flu season.
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| Hand sanitizing stations are located inside the entrances at both hospitals. |
The flu is a
serious respiratory disease caused by influenza viruses. It is spread by direct
contact, like touching someone, and by small droplets we expel when we
breathe, talk, sneeze or cough.
First and
foremost, get your flu shot from your family doctor or at a local pharmacy. The
best defense against the flu is getting vaccinated every year. Everyone older
than six months should get a flu vaccine, and especially those who are at a
higher risk of getting sick when they’re exposed to illness. Those at higher
risk include people over 65 years, pregnant women, people with chronic medical
conditions like asthma and diabetes, and those with compromised immune systems
because of illnesses like HIV, hepatitis, and cancer.
Although most
experts believe that influenza is most frequently spread by droplets, good hand
hygiene can prevent up to 50% of influenza. This could be because these
droplets can land on your hands or on surfaces that you have touched, and then
often, and sometimes unconsciously, you touch your face.
Patients in
the hospital are at a higher risk of exposure to illness, so to keep others
safe it is always better not to visit patients in the hospital if you are
feeling unwell. If you have flu-like symptoms like fever/chills, sore throat,
body aches, fatigue, nausea and/or vomiting or diarrhea, it is especially
important to stay home, avoid others and rest.
It’s also
possible that you could have influenza before you feel any symptoms because the
incubation period is 48 to 72 hours. That’s why good hand hygiene is really
important.
Your role in
helping to stop the spread of germs at the hospital starts when you first come
through the door.
Use the hand
sanitizing stations inside the entrances to each of our sites to clean your hands
with alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Be sure to put on a mask if you have a new
or worsening cough and wear it at all times in the building if you must attend
the hospital.
In health
care facilities like hospitals, you should clean your hands often, especially
before entering and after exiting a patient room or a care area. That’s because
germs can also live on surfaces and clinical studies have shown that the
influenza virus can live on hard surfaces for between two and eight hours.
Practice good
respiratory etiquette by coughing or sneezing into your elbow. Avoid touching
your eyes, nose, or mouth.
When we care
for patients with the flu or influenza-like symptoms, our staff wears masks,
gowns, and gloves. You should always talk to the nurse before entering a
patient’s room, so you too are aware of what steps to take to protect yourself
and others.
Like other
health care facilities, Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare has policies in place to
limit visitors in the event of a flu outbreak in the hospital, or even if
influenza activity becomes widespread in the region.
Read the
signs when you visit the hospital, check the www.mahc.ca website for updates, or call ahead
for visiting restrictions.
