We are entering the heart of flu season across the Tar Heel state, and it looks like this year’s version of the virus is particularly dangerous. That has caused some hospital systems to set limits on patient visitation.

The Durham VA Medical Center is the latest to add their name to the growing list of medical service providers placing restrictions on visitors during particularly heavy portions of the flu season.

Duke Medicine and the UNC Healthcare system have also placed restrictions on visitors, over the past few weeks.

In all of these cases, the restrictions are aimed at slowing the spread of influenza.

UNC Healthcare has stopped visitation from children under age 12 to any inpatient care unit.

At Duke University Health System Hospitals, children under 18 are only permitted to visit hospitals or wards when there has been prior approval and only in special circumstances. Patients at Duke Hospitals may also receive no more than two adult visitors at one time.

The Durham VA has also restricted visitation for anyone under the age of 18.

Anyone experiencing flu-like symptoms is also being restricted from visiting patients at all of the aforementioned healthcare facilities.

And if you are experiencing symptoms associated with influenza – including coughing, sneezing, runny nose, or a fever – you are being encouraged to contact a primary care doctor for an over-the-phone evaluation before visiting the hospital for treatment.

The flu has been particularly dangerous across North Carolina recently. During the 2013 – 2014 flu season, 107 North Carolinians died from flu-related illnesses, according to state health officials.

This season is shaping up to be just as dangerous. The latest numbers from the State Department of Health and Human Services report there have been 17 flu-related deaths since early October. That includes a spike in the last week of reporting with nine deaths the week ending December 27.

The flu vaccine has also been a major topic of debate this year, because the main strand of influenza was not covered by the shot.

You can still take measures to protect yourself from the flu. Doctors are still encouraging getting the flu shot, if you have not. While it does not guarantee you will not come down with the virus, it does offer a higher level of protection than avoiding the shot. Officials are also encouraging you to increase hand washing with soap and warm water. And if you do feel that you are developing symptoms of the flu, you are encouraged to limit contact with the general public, rest, remain hydrated, and contact your primary care physician.

Related Stories
‹
UNC Health Rolls Back Age-Based Visitor Restrictions as Respiratory Illness Rates Drop
After limiting young visitors to Triangle-area hospital campuses during the winter, UNC Health is scaling back its restrictions.
Gaza’s Doctors Struggle To Save Hospital Blast Survivors as Middle East Rage Grows
Written by NAJIB JOBAIN, ISABEL DEBRE, RAVI NESSMAN and MATTHEW LEE Doctors hamstrung by dwindling medical supplies rushed Wednesday to save people badly wounded in a massive blast at a Gaza City hospital the day before, performing surgery – often without anesthesia – on patients lying on floors, as Israel kept up its attacks on the besieged […]
Durham Tech and Duke Health Partner for Nursing Talent Pipeline
They are partnering to create the Nursing Talent Pipeline with the aims of enhancing learning and career readiness for future nurses.
As COVID Cases Surge with New Variants, Experts Encourage Bivalent Vaccine
North Carolina last week, compared to 23,322 the previous week. UNC infectious disease specialist Dr. David Wohl said the latest Covid surge is placing stress on hospital systems, clinics and workplaces.
After a Year, Omicron Still Driving COVID Surges and Worries
Written by LAURA UNGAR A year after omicron began its assault on humanity, the ever-morphing coronavirus mutant drove COVID-19 case counts higher in many places just as Americans gathered for Thanksgiving. It was a prelude to a wave that experts expect to soon wash over the U.S. Phoenix-area emergency physician Dr. Nicholas Vasquez said his […]
‘Viral Jambalaya’: Early Flu Adding to Woes for US Hospitals
Written by MIKE STOBBE and LINDSEY TANNER As Americans head into the holiday season, a rapidly intensifying flu season is straining hospitals already overburdened with patients sick from other respiratory infections. More than half the states have high or very high levels of flu, unusually high for this early in the season, the government reported Friday. Those […]
UNC Cancer Hospital Renamed to Honor State Leader
Marc Basnight was North Carolina’s longest-serving legislative leader. After his death, state legislatures wanted to find a way to honor him.
Report: UNC Hospitals Ranked 2nd Overall in North Carolina
UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill earned a top spot in the latest rankings from the U.S. News & World Report on Tuesday. The national publication’s 2022 Hospital Rankings listed UNC Hospitals as the second-best hospital in North Carolina based on its marks in several adult specialties. UNC Rex in Raleigh, which is also part of […]
Doctors, Crater Disprove Ukraine Hospital Airstrike Misinfo
Written by LORI HINNANT and MSTYSLAV CHERNOV A woman on the verge of giving birth with her leg flayed open by shrapnel. A shockwave that shattered the glass and ceramic lining of a room with medical waste. A nurse who suffered a concussion. This is what the Ukrainian doctors remember of the Russian airstrike that destroyed the […]
UNC Clinches National Title for Number of Flu Vaccinations
From September to December 2021, UNC provided more than 7,700 flu shots to the campus community, effectively clinching the title of National Champions in the annual Alana Yaksich University Flu Vaccination Challenge.
›