Grand River Hospital is limiting visitors to the Union Terrace wing at its Freeport Site after an outbreak of a gastrointestinal illness.
The hospital says three patients and two staff members on the second floor of the wing have experienced symptoms consistent with a stomach virus, including nausea and diarrhea.
“These are rehabilitation patients, patients who may have had a stroke and have completed their acute state but have to go through rehab before they can go back home,” says Mark Karjaluoto, the Director of Communications for Grand River Hospital. “Obviously it’s not fun but the patients are all stable.”
Grand River Hospital is taking steps to stop the spread of the illness. That includes:
- Isolating patients with symptoms and postponing group activities
- Sending affected staff members home until they are symptom free for 48 hours
- Aggressive cleaning throughout the unit and changing privacy curtains
- Limiting visitors to the unit until further notice
The status of the outbreak will be reviewed in week, since the unit must be free of new cases for at least five days before it can be declared over.
Anyone with a cold, flu or stomach virus is asked not to visit the hospital until they've been symptom-free for at least two days.
