Public asked to use common sense guidelines when visiting hospitals

October 29, 2009

Menasha, Wis. - Fox Valley public health officials and health care systems are asking the public to help limit the spread of the flu virus and help protect hospital patients by adhering to the following visitation guidelines:

Families of patients should try to limit the number of visitors to a patient in the hospital to one or two people, especially if anyone else in the family is ill with flu symptoms. Visitors can have the flu and be contagious up to 24 hours before feeling ill themselves. Anyone who is ill, especially with respiratory symptoms, should not visit until 24 hours after symptoms are gone.

The public is also reminded that the follow precautions can be used to help prevent the spread of the flu:

• Wash your hands
• Don’t touch your eyes or mouth
• Cough or sneeze into a tissue or into your sleeve
• Stay home if you feel ill

For more information about H1N1, contact your local health department, call 211 (alternative: 800-924-5514) or visit the following sites:

www.affinityhealth.org
www.aurorahealthcare.org/services/vna/shooflu/index.asp
www.thedacarenow.org

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Network Health has offered customized commercial and Medicare health insurance services to area employers, individuals and families since 1982, and through its strong reputation for providing quality health care coverage and excellent customer service has grown to serve thousands of people in Northeast Wisconsin and beyond. Each year since 2002, Network Health has received the highest possible "Excellent" accreditation status from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for its commercial HMO insurance plans, and annually since 2004 it has been ranked in the Top 50 Health Insurance Plans in U.S. News and World Report's NCQA Best Health Plans in America listing.