Courtesy of Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital:
Per recommendation of San Benito County Public Health Department due to the increase of severe illness from the flu, Mabie Skilled Nursing Facility and Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital continue to have temporary restrictions in place for visitors to all skilled nursing residents in the two facilities.
Currently, there are nine confirmed seasonal flu cases among the skilled nursing residents and 12 cases among the employees.
“It is of utmost importance to us to protect this vulnerable poplution from additional exposure to the flu” states Amy Bannister, RN, MSN, Infection Control Coordinator. “We understand that this is difficult and frustrating for residents and family members, but it is temporary. Our hope is to return to normal operations as soon as possible.”
“I would also like to stress that this has absolutely nothing to do with the 2019 Novel Coronavirus,” explained Bannister. “There are a lot of seasonal flu cases in the community right now and it is important that everyone take basic precautions to reduce the risk of getting the flu.”
You can help reduce the risk of flu by the following:
· Getting a flu vaccine; vaccination remains the best protection.
· Practicing basic hand hygiene, including hand sanitizing and hand washing.
· Sanitizing and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces on a regular basis.
· Staying home if the following symptoms are present: fever (temperature greater than 100 degrees), chills, cough, sore throat, muscle aches, and fatigue.
Influenza symptoms come on quickly in the form of fever, dry cough, sore throat, headache, extreme tiredness, stuffed-up nose, and body aches. These symptoms can be severe.