VISITING restrictions are in place at University Hospital Limerick following an outbreak of a contagious winter vomiting bug.
Confirmation was made this morning (Sunday) by UL Hospitals Group, the body responsible for University Hospital Limerick (UHL), that a visiting ban is in place after a norovirus outbreak at the Dooradoyle hospital.
According to a spokeswoman for the hospital, visiting restrictions have been introduced at UHL as part of the management of an outbreak of norovirus on several wards at the hospital. As a precautionary measure, hospital management have restricted visiting on all inpatient wards at UHL.
Norovirus is a common winter virus which is known to cause vomiting and diarrhoea. Other common symptoms include slight fever, headache, stomach cramps, and aching limbs. Health advice for those experiencing symptoms includes staying at home and avoiding crowded places, due to the virus’ highly contagious nature.
The UHL spokeswoman said that “all appropriate infection control precautions” are being carried out at the hospital to minimise the spread of the virus among staff and patients.
“We regret the inconvenience this will cause for inpatients at UHL and their loved ones, but the restrictions are necessary at this time, to protect the safety of patients and staff, and to keep essential healthcare services open for all patients,” a statement on behalf of the hospital read.
Some exceptions are in place to the visiting ban, including for parents visiting sick children, people assisting “confused” patients, and patients who are critically unwell or at end of life, on a case by case basis. The UHL spokeswoman added that all ban exemptions are limited to one person per patient.
