MASKS are being reintroduced in clinical areas of the General Hospital – with both staff and visitors being asked to wear them – amid attempts to mitigate the impact of a rise in winter illness driven by flu.
Islanders are also being urged not to go to the Emergency Department unnecessarily or to visit the Hospital and other Health sites if feeling unwell or experiencing vomiting or diarrhoea.
Consultant microbiologist and director of infection control Dr Ivan Muscat – also the former deputy medical officer of health who was at the forefront of the Island’s pandemic response – said: “The primary drivers are the respiratory viruses – at the moment the major player is influenza A.”
He explained that the Island was going through the “usual winter pressures” and that this was also being seen in the UK and Europe.
“RSV is also contributing but it appears to have peaked in December and the numbers are not as great as influenza,” he continued.
“We are continuing to ask staff and visitors not to attend the Hospital if they have an influenza-like illness.
“Additionally, however, we know that 50% of influenza is not symptomatic – so [there are] people who don’t know they’ve got it but can still transmit it.
“We are therefore asking that staff and visitors attending clinical areas in the Hospital wear masks to avoid inadvertent transmission of flu, bearing in mind of course that patients in the Hospital are vulnerable.”
Islanders are also being reminded to only visit the Emergency Department if they are experiencing a genuine medical emergency.
“If they are concerned about non-emergency medical illnesses they should initially discuss the matter with a pharmacy or GP to allow the Emergency Department to deal with true emergencies,” Dr Muscat added.
He encouraged those eligible for vaccination who hadn’t yet been vaccinated to ensure they got their jabs “as soon as possible”.
The Health Department yesterday announced that the recently refurbished Bartlett Ward has also been opened.
“It’s been brought online as part of our winter planning to help reduce the pressures on bed capacity,” Dr Muscat said.
