Central and Eastern Kentucky
(2009-10-21)
LEXINGTON
(Kentucky Public Radio) -
Health officials at the University of Kentucky say they're changing patient visitation policies in their facilities in an effort to slow down the spread of the H1N1 virus.
Dr. Chris Nelson is UK Healthcare's Medical Director for Infection Control.
"We are going to not allow anyone in the hospital to visit a patient in their room who is under 18 years of age, unless that person is the parent of a child," Nelson said.
Dr. Nelson says children are being barred from patient rooms because they've proven to be an easy mark for catching and spreading the flu virus.
"If you look at who is, especially with H1N1, mostly infected, the largest population are those zero to twenty-four years of age. That is who we're seeing. That is who the southern hemisphere saw. That's who we saw last spring. Those are the patients and people who are most likely to have flu and spread it to others."
Dr. Nelson says the new policy has already been implemented and will remain in place until further notice.
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