Sunnyside hospital to limit H1N1 by limiting visits

SUNNYSIDE, Wash. -- To help prevent the spread of the H1N1 flu to pregnant women and babies, Sunnyside Community Hospital is restricting visits to its family birthing center.

No one under age 14 and no ill visitors will be allowed in the wing until further notice, according to a hospital memo.

The memo called the flu an "epidemic" in the community.

Hospital spokesman Tom Lathen said Wednesday the emergency department is seeing 40 to 45 percent more patients than the same time a year ago. Most of them have "flu-like" symptoms, Lathen said.

Hospitals and clinics typically do not test every patient with those symptoms, but health officials say most cases are probably caused by the H1N1 virus, often called swine flu.

Infants are at a high risk of getting sick from the virus because they are too young to be immunized, Lathen said.

Both Yakima hospitals, Yakima Valley Memorial and Yakima Regional Cardiac and Medical Center, imposed visitor restrictions Monday.

Patients are allowed only two visitors at a time throughout the hospital. They must be healthy and over age 14.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children are more susceptible to both the seasonal flu and H1N1 and are more likely than adults to be contagious before they experience symptoms.

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