GILLETTE, Wyo. – Visitor restrictions have been implemented at Campbell County Health once again, this time for rising Respiratory Syncytial Virus cases, the health organization announced Tuesday.
As of Nov. 22, children under the age of 12 will not be permitted to visit patients in inpatient care areas, which include Maternal-Child, Med/Sug, and the ICU, per CCH.
“Masking is encouraged for all permitted visitors when in areas with immunocompromised patients,” CCH said. “Permitted visitors with respiratory illness symptoms and fevers are highly encouraged to not visit patients in the hospital.”=
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, RSV is a very common respiratory virus that seasonally results in increased outpatient visits and hospitalizations in children, CCH says, adding that infection rates this year are unprecedented.
While common, RSV poses a significant risk of serious illness for the youngest, oldest, and immunocompromised populations, per CCH.
“We know how hard visitor restrictions can be on our community members,” Sherry Bailey, CCH director of infection prevention, said in a statement. “With pediatric ICUs at capacity across the country and a gradual uptick within our community, our job is to ensure that our community’s children, newborns, and other vulnerable populations are not exposed to RSV.”
CCH says the restrictions will be lifted as soon as it is deemed safe to do so, and will keep the community updated on this evolving situation.
