WICHITA – Wesley Medical Center, Wesley Woodlawn Hospital & ER and Wesley Children’s Hospital will enact its seasonal visitation policy for its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Special Care Nursery the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), as well as all of its adult ICUs starting today, November 1. No person under the age of 12 will be permitted to visit these hospital units unless he or she is a patient or there are extenuating circumstances.
“Respiratory illnesses like RSV and the flu are most common during the winter months,” said Kathy Adams, Wesley Medical Center’s manager of infection prevention. “Many of the patients in these units have delicate or compromised respiratory systems and we want to limit their exposure to an illness that could compromise their health.”
Tips for Avoiding Respiratory Illnesses:
- Get immunized against seasonal flu
- Wash hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizers frequently
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your arm (not your hands)
- Frequently wipe down counters, phones, computer keyboards and mouse, and other often-used surfaces and objects with disinfectant wipes
- If you have flu-like or respiratory illness symptoms, stay home! Avoid public places and interacting with others until your symptoms have improved
Those with relatively mild symptoms should stay home and treat as you would for seasonal flu. Remember to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
People who have more severe symptoms such as shortness of breath, a persistent fever over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and altered levels of consciousness should see their doctor or go to their nearest emergency department.