Northeast Ohio hospitals restricting visitors to curb spread of swine flu

By Kaye Spector Health and Medical Reporter, The Plain Dealer If you have flu symptoms or are younger than age 18, you won't be welcome as a visitor at a growing number of hospitals across Northeast Ohio. Hospitals are limiting who can walk through the door in an effort to stem the spread of H1N1, or swine flu. The Cleveland Clinic became the latest hospital on Monday to announce temporary restrictions: No one age 18 or younger or anyone with flu or flu-like symptoms should visit patients at its main campus in University Circle or its nine hospitals throughout the region. It is the first time the Clinic has imposed such restrictions, said Dr. Ian Glass, senior vice president, medical operations/regional quality. The limits were necessary because H1N1 accounts for the vast majority of flu cases in the community, and so far, its vaccine has been in limited supply, Glass said. H1N1 is particularly prevalent among young people, he said, prompting the age-related guidelines. "This is one of the easiest things we can do in terms of preventing disease," Glass said. Southwest General Health Center announced similar visitor restrictions Monday. Last week, the Akron-area hospitals, including Akron Children's Hospital, Akron General Medical Center and Medina General, put similar restrictions in place, as did Parma Community General Hospital. They joined University Hospitals Case Medical Center, which last spring began asking visitors of all ages with flulike symptoms to stay home and recently began restricting all children from certain high-risk floors. "We have not yet instituted any additional restrictions because we know it would be a hardship to families," UH spokesman George Stamatis said in an e-mail. UH may implement limits later if the situation warrants, he said. Officials at the hospitals with the new rules said that decisions about visits will be handled on a case-by-case basis for patients who are critically or terminally ill. "We talked about this and felt very strongly that there are always going to be mitigating circumstances," Glass said. "A heavy dose of common sense goes a long way toward helping the solution." Hospital personnel won't be accosting violators and sending them home. But they may ask visitors to don masks or not enter a room, said James Gosky, Akron General spokesman. "By and large, people understand and are very courteous," Gosky said. MetroHealth Medical Center has not instituted any new restrictions, but signs are posted throughout the hospital asking visitors with respiratory symptoms -- cough, sore throat, or runny nose -- to wear a mask.