The Niagara Health System is asking all members of the public to help with our infection prevention and control efforts by cleaning their hands regularly while in hospital and not visiting if they have a cough or are ill.
“The flu season is here, and we are seeing an increase in the number of people coming to hospital with flu-like symptoms and other respiratory illnesses,” says NHS Infection Prevention and Control Manager Shelley Schmidt. “We are asking the public to assist us with our infection prevention and control efforts to maintain a safe environment for their loved ones and for themselves.”
Due to this increased activity, we are enhancing our vigilance with our infection prevention and control practices. Beginning today, we are running flu immunization clinics for all of our staff, physicians and volunteers. We are also offering flu shots to our patients while they are in hospital.
Good hand hygiene should be practiced by everyone at all times. It is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of many infections. NHS has created a video on proper hand hygiene techniques, which is posted on our website for easy viewing.
Information on preventing the flu and getting a flu shot can be found on the Niagara Region Public Health website.
What you should know about influenza (flu) symptoms:
Influenza will usually give you fever, dry cough, body aches and tiredness. The common cold is much milder and usually involves a runny or stuffed nose. Influenza is contagious by droplets in the air that are created from someone coughing, sneezing or talking, or by touching an object that has been contaminated with these droplets, and transferring it to ourselves by touching our nose, mouth and eyes. You can be contagious as early as one day before you have symptoms and up to five days after you’ve become ill.
