Akron Regional Hospital Association
Hospitals Continue Visitation Restrictions

March 01, 2010

ARHA would like to remind the public that the following hospitals are restricting visitation in order to provide additional protection to patients during flu season. Hospitals frequently enact visitation restrictions each year during influenza season:  

Affinity Medical Center, Akron Children’s Hospital, Akron General Edwin Shaw Hospital, Akron General Medical Center, Alliance Community Hospital*, Aultman Hospital, Lodi Community Hospital, Medina Hospital a Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Mercy Medical Center, Regency Hospitals, Robinson Memorial Hospital, Select Specialty Hospitals, Hospital, Summa Akron City Hospital, Summa Barberton Hospital, Summa St. Thomas Hospital, Summa Wadsworth-Rittman Hospital and Summa Western Reserve Hospital.

The Restricted Visitation Guidelines are as follows: 

RESTRICTED VISITATION TO PROTECT OUR PATIENTS FROM INFLUENZA

Until further notice, please adhere to the following visitation policy:

1.      Visitation is limited to healthy visitors. 

2.      NO ONE under age 18 will be permitted to visit.

3.      The standard visitation policy is 2 visitors per patient. 

4.      DO NOT visit patients if you are ill or are experiencing any of the following symptoms: Cough, fever, chills, sore throat, headache, muscle aches, diarrhea, vomiting.

5.      Individual hospitals/units may have additional restrictions due to the characteristics of their special patients (bone marrow transplant/intensive care units)

Ohio Information Line - H1N1 (Swine Flu)

Last updated March 01, 2010

2009-2010 Influenza Season Week 7 ending February 20, 2010

All data are preliminary and may change as more reports are received.

Synopsis:

During week 7 (February 14-20, 2010), influenza activity remained at approximately the same levels as last week in the U.S.

• 185 (4.4%) specimens tested by U.S. World Health Organization (WHO) and National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS) collaborating laboratories and reported to CDC/Influenza Division were positive for influenza.
• All subtyped influenza A viruses reported to CDC were 2009 influenza A (H1N1) viruses.
• The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza (P&I) was below the epidemic threshold.
• Three influenza-associated pediatric deaths were reported. One death was associated with 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus infection and two deaths were associated with an influenza A virus for which the subtype was undetermined.
• The proportion of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness (ILI) was 1.8% which is below the national baseline of 2.3%. Three of 10 regions (Regions 1, 4, and 7) reported ILI above region-specific baseline levels.
• No states reported widespread influenza activity, three states reported regional influenza activity, Puerto Rico and eight states reported local influenza activity, the District of Columbia, Guam, and 35 states reported sporadic influenza activity, the U.S. Virgin Islands and four states reported no influenza activity.
  
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