A number of hospitals in South Wales have launched mask-wearing guidelines amid fears of rising flu circumstances.
In a transfer echoing steps taken in the course of the COVID pandemic, Cwm Taf Morgannwg, Cardiff and Vale, Hywel Dda and Aneurin Bevan well being boards are all bringing within the restriction.
Citing intelligence from Public Well being Wales, Cardiff and Vale well being board stated flu circumstances had been “prone to peak throughout the subsequent 10 days” as hospitals are put beneath strain by a “quad-demic” of sicknesses.
This consists of norovirus and three respiratory sicknesses; flu, COVID and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
It comes as UK Well being Safety Company (UKHSA) information for England means that flu circumstances are persevering with to rise, however RSV numbers could have peaked earlier this month.
Equally, in Scotland, a surge in flu circumstances has led to GP session charges hitting their highest stage throughout winter in seven years.
Hospital admissions within the nation have additionally risen by 65% from 705 final week, to 1,163 this week.
The NHS has warned that hospitals are being flooded by winter flu circumstances – taking on hundreds of beds in wards throughout the nation.
‘Face masks should now be worn’
The Aneurin Bevan well being board, which covers Newport, Pontypool and Monmouth, stated: “We’re seeing a rising variety of flu circumstances in our communities and a rise in hospital admissions.
“To assist stop an infection, face masks should now be worn upon getting into all hospital wards, emergency departments and scientific settings, together with our Minor Harm Items (MIU) by all employees, guests and sufferers.”
The Hywel Dda well being board, which incorporates Pembroke and Aberystwyth, stated that visiting the acute medical evaluation unit on the Prince Phillip Hospital in Llanelli was “restricted additional” and by association solely as a result of rising flu circumstances.
All guests to the location now must put on masks.
Ward closures had been being applied by the Cardiff and Vale well being board on the College Hospital of Wales and College Hospital Llandough.
The identical well being board additionally warned that the flu was prone to “peak throughout the subsequent 10 days”.
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Cwm Taf Morgannwg, which covers Talbot Inexperienced, Tonypandy and Merthyr Tydfil, requested guests to its emergency departments to put on masks.
The board’s deputy director of nursing Richard Hughes stated: “When flu enters and circulates inside a hospital it could possibly trigger important issues, posing an actual threat to the well being of sufferers and inflicting absences amongst our employees, so we have to do all the things we will to maintain the virus at bay.
“This week we’ve got seen a excessive variety of sufferers arriving at our busy emergency departments, the place the virus can simply and rapidly unfold.”
Plenty of the well being boards urged individuals to get their annual flu vaccination to cut back the unfold of the sickness.
