Broomfield Hospital closed to visitors after virus outbreak

BROOMFIELD Hospital has closed its doors to visitors after having to close five of their wards after patients contracted the Norovirus.

Norovirus causes vomiting and diarrhoea and is very easily spread from person to person. The spread of infection is easiest in places where group of people are in close proximity for reasonable amounts of time such as residential homes, schools, hospitals and workplaces.

The illness lasts around two days and no treatment is required, however, even after the symptoms have cleared up people may still carry the virus and infect others up to three days after their own symptoms have stopped.

Russell Harrison, Chief Operating Officer at Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trusts said: “People should also stay away if they have been in contact recently with anyone that has the virus. Our main objective is to try and prevent infections being brought into the hospital and we need the publics’ help to do this.”

Dr Louise Teare, director of infection prevention and control, at mid Essex Hospitals, said: “We want to protect our patients and staff by restricting the chances of people spreading this infection. For this reason, regrettably, visiting is restricted, and is only allowed at the discretion of the ward manager.

“We know that this virus, which causes diarrhoea and vomiting, is brought into the hospital from the community, so it is very important that people who have had the virus, or been in contact with someone who has had it, do not come to the hospital.”