How Hospitals Handle H1N1

Local hospitals are trying to fight off the H1N1 flu by limiting the number of people coming through their doors. Both major hospitals in Bloomington/Normal along with Eureka announced Monday that visitors should only come if it's "truly necessary for the patient's emotional well-being".

"You can be contagious the day before you become symptomatic. You don't want to come in and spread it. There's also sick people in the hospital so you don't want to take anything home either," Monica McDonald, OSF St. Joseph's Infections Control Nurse, tells News 25.

Right now, people admitted with the flu at OSF St. Joseph's in Bloomington are isolated from the rest of the patients. McLean County reported its first death due to H1N1 last Thursday. The 56-year-old woman had been hospitalized fighting the flu for a week.

"We noticed an increase in influenza illness in the last two weeks especially with the increase in admissions," McDonald says. "We are isolating them as we would with any type of influenza type illness. The staff has to wear protective masks, gowns and gloves to do any kind of patient care."

Hospital officials say only those with the most severe flu symptoms should be showing up at their doors. Otherwise, they would like you to stay home to heal.

A big crowd is expected at H1N1 Flu Clinics. McLean County's second clinic is Thursday.

"There often times is a wait so for your children bring a snack, water, activities so kids can play quietly," Jan Morris with the McLean County Health Department says.

Health Departments are only handing out the vaccine to those in the CDC's priority group. That includes pregnant women, kids, caregivers with infants under 6 months old and adults with chronic medical conditions.

McLean County's clinic is at the Interstate Center Thursday afternoon from noon-6pm.

The Tazewell County Health Department is out of the H1N1 vaccine so it canceled its clinic in Creve Coeur Monday. As long as it gets a new shipment, Tazewell County will have its clinics on Thursday in East Peoria at Lincoln School and Saturday at the Health Department in Tremont.

Peoria County has no doses of the vaccine and will not have a clinic in October.

Peoria area hospitals last week made visitation restrictions even tighter by saying visitors must be 12-years of age or older. A spokesperson for OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria says its emergency room is averaging between 50 and 70 people a day with flu-like symptoms. And, very few of them are being admitted for treatment.

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