- QNetNews.ca - https://www.qnetnews.ca -

Northumberland Hills Hospital lift ban after virus contained

By Ryan Peddigrew [1]

BELLEVILLE – An outbreak of Norovirus that kept the Northumberland Hills Hospital on lockdown for days is officially lifted. 

The outbreak was identified by the hospital on Jan. 20 and an update issued on Jan. 23 restricted visitations to the surgical wings and the Maternal/Child ward as a precaution. 

After no new cases appeared in the designated amount of time, the hospital’s infection prevention officials have confirmed that patient-to-patient transmission has stopped and that the admissions can resume and return to normal.

Symptoms of Norovirus [2] include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain, and sometimes can cause headache, fever and body aches. It can be treated by drinking lots of fluids to help prevent dehydration. Proper hygiene and handwashing [3] habits can prevent the spread of the virus as well as appropriate food handling.