Area hospitals and clinics are reporting an uptick in patients with influenza, COVID-19 and other seasonal viruses. For that reason, Greater Dayton-area hospitals will restrict visitors starting today.
The announcement comes from the Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association, a network of 29 hospital partners in Southwest and West Central Ohio.
Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association represents 29 hospitals in Auglaize, Butler, Darke, Champaign, Clark, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Preble, Shelby, and Warren counties.
These temporary measures are intended to reduce the spread of illness within local hospital settings, especially among patients who are most vulnerable.
The hospital association says individuals with flu-like symptoms such as coughing, fever, chills, sore throat or muscle aches should not visit the hospital to see other patients.
Anyone under the age of 14 should also refrain from visiting. Though, individuals from both of these groups can still be seen as patients at these facilities.
Local infection control specialists have been monitoring for respiratory viruses since October, president and CEO of the Hospital Association Sarah Hackenbracht said.
“In the past several weeks we have seen an increase not only in the number of outpatient cases of flu A and B here in the Dayton area, but we are also seeing an increase in the emergency department visits and hospitalizations due to respiratory illnesses,” Hackenbracht said.
The Ohio Department of Health maintains a dashboard of the numbers of hospitalizations for flu, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
As of last week:
- Montgomery County had 86 hospitalizations for flu, 19 for RSV and 32 for COVID-19
- Clark County had five hospitalizations for flu, zero for RSV and seven for COVID-19.
- Greene County had nine hospitalization for flu, five for RSV and zero for COVID-19
- Miami County had six hospitalizations for flu, zero for RSV and two for COVID-19
- Butler County had 32 hospitalizations for flu, three for RSV, and eight for COVID-19
- Warren County had seven hospitalizations for flu, two for RSV, and three for COVID-19
Individuals visiting area hospitals should follow signage posted at the facility they’re at, Hackenbracht said. To stay safe, she said people should wash their hands with soap and warm water for at least 30 seconds and wear a mask in public settings if they’re feeling sick to prevent the spread.
“That will help us keep not only everyone in our community safe, that'll help us take care of the patients that we have in our area hospitals and prevent additional cold and flu spread inside the walls of our hospital,” she said. “And it'll also help us keep our hospital caregivers safe over the next several months.”
The restriction will be lifted once there is a measurable downturn in infection rates and positive cases across the region, Hackenbracht said.
Hospitals typically look at removing the restriction at the end of cold and flu season, Hackenbracht said. Flu season goes from October through May, with cases often peaking December through February.
