Wards closed as winter vomiting bug spreads

WARDS have been closed to visitors and surgery cancelled as the winter vomiting bug continues to spread, infecting 110 patients in two Dublin hospitals.

At the Adelaide and Meath Hospital in Tallaght, 180 patients have been quarantined as a result of an outbreak affecting 50 people and all scheduled surgery has been cancelled. Another 60 patients are showing symptoms of the bug in St Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) has asked people displaying symptoms of the bug not to visit hospitals to prevent passing on the virus to patients.

All wards have been closed to visitors at Tallaght Hospital, with the exception of the National Children’s Hospital section.

While the Accident and Emergency unit remains open, the hospital has requested that it go “off call” to emergency cases. The situation will be reviewed again today.

The outbreak began a number of days ago, but a spokesperson for the hospital said it has since worsened and 11 staff are also ill with the virus. A spokesperson for St James’s Hospital, where the bug was prevalent last week, said the hospital is now in the clear.

To add to the problems caused by the winter vomiting bug, the Irish Nurses Organisation also revealed that 277 patients were forced on to trolleys in A&E units around the country yesterday. The figures included 34 patients in Tallaght Hospital and 24 at St Vincent’s.

The HSE Eastern Region’s Department of Public Health has appealed for public support to prevent the spread of the winter vomiting virus.

The authority is appealing to people who have had any symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhoea not to visit hospitals.

People who believe they have the virus are asked to stay at home, drink plenty of fluids and limit contact with others. There is no specific treatment for the illness, and because it is caused by a virus, antibiotics have no effect.

The symptoms of the virus are vomiting, which can come on quite suddenly, diarrhoea in some people, and a general feeling of being unwell. It is usually a mild illness that may last for about two days.

People with the virus should not:

Visit hospitals or attend them unnecessarily.

Go to work or school.

Should only return to work or school 48 hours after symptoms go.

The virus is very easily spread from person to person. As a precaution, people are advised to be vigilant in matters of personal hygiene such as washing and drying of hands and bathrooms must be kept clean, particularly any area where vomiting and diarrhoea occurs.

Any household diluted bleach is suitable for cleaning these surfaces.

Towels should not be shared and soiled clothes should be washed using the hot cycle of a washing machine.