Hospital wards reopen after sickness bug outbreak (From Droitwich Advertiser)

Hospital wards reopen after sickness bug outbreak

3:30pm Wednesday 2nd January 2013 in News

WARDS at hospitals in Worcestershire are returning to normal after an outbreak of a winter diarrhoea and vomiting bug.

As of today no wards are closed to visitors or admissions at any of the county’s acute hospitals in Worcester, Redditch and Kidderminster.

Some bays within wards remain affected however. People are asked not to visit if they have suffered symptoms within the last 48 hours. Family only have been asked to visit and numbers are limited to two per bed to stop the infection spreading. The trust has asked that there be no visitors under the age of 16 to prevent the bug spreading to schools, nurseries and playgroups.

The virus is easily spread by contact with an infected person, especially through their hands. People can also catch it through contaminated food or drink or by touching contaminated surfaces or objects.

The following measures should help prevent the virus from spreading further including washing hands frequently, not sharing towels and flannels and disinfecting any surfaces that an infected person has touched.