DETROIT (WXYZ) — Children's Hospital of Michigan announced it is restricting visiting hours and rules during flu season, as there is a rise of confirmed flu cases in the metro Detroit area.
Dr. Curt Stankovic, the medical director of pediatric emergency medicine at Children's Hospital said younger children are particularly susceptible to catching and spreading these illnesses.
To protect patients and families, Children's Hospital will implement new guidelines beginning Friday, Dec. 14 at 7 a.m. Now, only parents and legal guardians, and guests age 13 years or older will be able to visit inpatient and observation units. They will remain in effect while we are experiencing a high volume of seasonal flu.
Should children under 13 arrive during normal business or visiting hours, they will not be permitted to visit inpatient or observation units.
“We can never be too safe when it comes to flu season,” said Dr. Rudy Valentini, Chief Medical Officer at Children’s Hospital of Michigan. “We’re doing absolutely everything we can to prevent the spread of influenza and to ensure the safety of our patients. We have a mandatory flu vaccination policy for our physicians and staff to reduce the transmission of infection to our patients, while at the same time keeping them healthy to enable them to continue providing top notch care to our patients in need.”
