Two wards closed at Raigmore Hospital
Two medical wards at Inverness’ Raigmore Hospital have now been closed to new admissions and visitors are being asked to stay away while staff deal with several cases of diarrhoea and vomiting.
Ward 7C, which was closed today, has five patients currently affected with symptoms.
Ward 2C, which was closed on Friday due to cases of diarrhoea and vomiting, currently has 15 patients affected. Testing has shown that norovirus is present on both wards.
The virus, which causes diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting, spreads in the air where someone has had diarrhoea or vomited and is extremely infectious. Health chiefs said it is important that everyone plays their part in reducing outbreak risks.
Dr Chin Lim, Consultant Microbiologist for NHS Highland, said: "By restricting visiting to the affected area it helps hospital staff protect the health, privacy and dignity of our patients.
"Again we would stress that people do not come to the hospital/s to visit if they have, or live with someone who has, had any vomiting or diarrhoea within the previous 48 hours. By doing this we will be able to limit the spread as much as possible.
"Hospital staff will, of course, be very happy to talk to visitors on the phone so they can get updates on how their relatives are."
Anyone feeling that visiting is essential should contact the ward first by phone before coming to the hospital. They should not visit the ward unless by prior arrangement with the nurse in charge.
There is no specific treatment for a norovirus infection and it is not usually necessary to visit a doctor. The best course of action is to stay at home, take paracetamol to relieve symptoms of any fever and to drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration.
People should also adhere to strict hand washing techniques to reduce the spread of the virus.
