Norovirus closes ward at Southport and Formby Hospital

Three cases of the winter vomiting bug were confirmed this week at Southport and Formby Hospital

A ward at Southport and Formby District General Hospital has been closed to admissions after an outbreak of norovirus.

Three cases of the winter vomiting bug were confirmed this week on Ward 7b.

The bug - which causes vomiting, diarrhoea, fever and stomach cramps - is easily spread from person to person.

Friends and family are being asked to postpone visiting patients in the affected ward during the outbreak unless absolutely necessary.

The ward is undergoing enhanced cleaning and disinfection.

Andrew Chalmers, Deputy Director of Infection Prevention and Control, said: “Norovirus is a highly infectious sickness bug which we know is circulating in the local community.

“Instances of diarrhoea and vomiting are always investigated when they occur in hospital. As a precaution we may close bays within wards while we investigate the cause, which is usually due to a patient’s medical condition rather than infection.”

The illness usually resolves in one or two days and there are no long-term effects. If you are affected, stay at home, stay hydrated by drinking adequate fluids, wash your hands after using the toilet and prior to eating, and clean contaminated surfaces.

In particular, anyone who has experienced sickness or diarrhoea in the past 48 hours should stay away from hospitals and other healthcare providers, as either a visitor or a patient, except in a genuine medical emergency.

Story source: Liverpool Echo by Kate Lally