Influenza cases are increasing in our community, and 75% of influenza-like illness is occurring in people less than 18 years old in the St. Louis area.
St. Louis Children's Hospital is implementing additional safety measures to protect patients and staff from contagious illnesses.
- As a temporary measure and until further notice, only visitors 18 years and older will be allowed in the following areas:
- All inpatient floors (5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12)
- Dialysis Unit - 2nd floor
- Same Day Surgery - 6th floor
- Ambulatory Procedure Center (APC) - 1st floor
- Pediatric Acute Wound Service (PAWS) - 10th floor
- We are asking staff who provide direct patient care throughout the hospital - or who work within 6 feet of patients for 10 minutes or more - to wear masks. Influenza is spread by droplets, typically within 6 feet and after prolonged contact with an infected person. The virus is not usually spread at a distance or during short interactions.
- If you have a child or a loved one who is currently an in-patient, please do not visit if you are experiencing any flu-like symptoms - including a fever (greater than 100F) along with cough, muscle aches, headache, sore throat or runny nose; please encourage potential visitors to stay home if they are experiencing flu-like symptoms; and consider limiting the number of family or loved ones who visit your child. The risk of spreading the virus increases with more visitors from outside.
- Your child may need to share a room with another child who has a similar illness. Sometimes this means relocating to another room to make the environment as safe as possible. This may also mean admitting your child to a different unit than usual.
- As a precaution, children with certain respiratory illnesses that can spread to others will need to be isolated. If your child is sharing a room with another patient also on isolation, everything possible will be done to ensure a safe environment to help decrease the risk of spreading respiratory viruses.
We appreciate your understanding and patience with these measures. As always, our guiding principle is to provide the best possible care to our patients and families in a safe and caring environment.
Sincerely,
Lee Fetter, President, St. Louis Children's Hospital
F. Sessions Cole, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, St. Louis Children's Hospital
New Visitor Policy Information
New Visitor Policy Handout |