To protect patients, visitors and staff during the flu season, East Georgia Regional Medical Center is taking an active approach to prevent the spread of the flu within our facility.

No one with flu-like symptoms should come to East Georgia Regional Medical Center to visit patients.  Flu-Like symptoms include: fever, coughing, congestion, sneezing, headache, muscle aches, sore throat and sometimes vomiting and diarrhea. 

Only healthy visitors over the age of 18 may enter the ICU, Labor & Delivery, Post Partum and the Nursery.

Utilize appropriate hand hygiene as necessary.  Always wash your hands thoroughly or use hand sanitizer when entering and exiting a patient’s room.

We ask that you limit the number of visitors to patients with influenza-like illness.  If you do visit a patient with influenza-like illness it is imperative that you follow the precautions placed on the outside of the patient’s door. 

The CDC has recommended the following:

v  Stay home when you are sick

v  Try to avoid sick people

v  Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.

v  Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth – germs spread this way.

v  Clean your hands often with soap and water or alcohol-based hand cleaners, especially after you cough or sneeze.

v  Get your flu shot

v  Do not attend school or work if you have a respiratory illness with a fever.  Stay home until you are fever free 
        for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications such as Tylenol or Motrin.

v  Seek medical care right away if the sick person: 
            ·         has difficulty breathing or chest pain
            ·         has purple or blue discoloration of the lips
            ·         is vomiting and unable to keep liquids down
            ·         has signs of dehydration such as dizziness when standing, absence of urination, or in infants, a lack of tear
               when they cry
         ·         has seizures (for example, uncontrolled convulsions)
            ·         is less responsive than normal or becomes confused

We appreciate your support and understanding as we take these additional steps to protect our patients, visitors and staff. 

For more information on the H1N1 and Seasonal Flu, please visit http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/sick.htm.