Hospital visits restricted over swine flu fears

A south Auckland hospital is restricting visitors in a bid to stop the spread of swine flu and other flu-like illnesses.

Middlemore Hospital has introduced the new measures following the deaths of two patients on Wednesday - a woman who tested positive for swine flu and a man suspected of having the virus.

Seven other confirmed swine flu patients are also in the hospital.

Counties Manukau District Health Board said today there would be no more than two visitors per patient in wards, and only one visitor per patient in the emergency department. The restrictions also applied to the Manukau Surgical Centre.

The board's chief medical officer Don Mackie told NZPA the hospital brought in the restrictions to reduce the risk patient exposure to the flu.

"Our patients, who are in hospital with other diseases of one kind or another, don't need to catch the flu as well.

"The secondary thing is trying to keep a lid on exposure for our staff. If our staff start going off with the flu, we've got a problem."

Mr Mackie said that the hospital was also asking children under five to stay away.

"The thinking behind that is two-fold. First of all, kids aren't as good at using hankies as adults are. Children are quite significant carriers of the disease, and it's also a protective precaution for them.

"We obviously understand the importance of family and whanau visiting, and there are some situations with the very seriously ill people where those restrictions are a bit difficult.

"So we're asking people in those situations to phone ahead to find out more information."

New Zealand's confirmed number of deaths from Novel Influenza A (H1N1) swine flu remained at six this afternoon.

The total confirmed cases of swine flu was 1555, up from 1431 yesterday.

- NZPA