SPOKANE, Wash. — Local hospitals are implementing new safety measures as flu cases surge across the region, with visitor restrictions and masking requirements taking effect to protect patients and staff.
Starting today, Sacred Heart Medical Center is not allowing visitors under 18 in certain hospital units, including the Children’s Hospital, Labor and Delivery Unit, and Women’s Health Center. The policy aims to protect staff, patients and visitors as flu activity reaches concerning levels.
“We’re seeing roughly 2% of all of our emergency visits in the state are related to influenza. And that’s our trigger to start implementing masking to help keep patients and our staff safe,” said Dr. Dan Getz, Chief Medical Officer at Sacred Heart Medical Center.
The restrictions come as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates more than 15 million flu cases have occurred nationwide this season. Most states, including Washington and Idaho, are experiencing high or very high flu activity according to CDC data.
MultiCare’s Deaconess and Valley Hospitals have also implemented staff masking requirements as respiratory illnesses increase in emergency departments.
“We are seeing a lot of respiratory illness come into our emergency room,” said Dr. Alexander Heard, Chief Medical Officer for Deaconess and Valley Hospitals for MultiCare.
The current season represents one of the worst for respiratory illness since 1997-98, with flu combining with RSV and COVID-19 to create challenging conditions for healthcare systems. The surge includes not only emergency room visits but also urgent care visits and patients managing illness at home.
This year’s flu season presents additional challenges due to a mutated strain that wasn’t anticipated when this year’s flu vaccine was developed. However, the vaccine still provides protection and can help people recover more quickly.
“The flu is crafty. It mutates. Every year it’s probably a little different than it was the year before. And it’s a little different than we protect,” Heard said.
Despite the strain mismatch, doctors stress that flu vaccination remains important for building immunity over time.
“Over time, if you think about building a library for different strains of flu every year, even if the flu is not exactly covered by that year’s vaccine, you might have had one in the past that’s close,” Heard said.
Beyond vaccination, doctors recommend washing hands and staying home when sick to prevent further spread.
Getz warned that the region is still in the early stages of the flu surge.
“We’re right on the very early uptake of this, so I think we have probably 4 or 5 rough weeks ahead of us,” he said.
Sacred Heart Medical Center plans to re-evaluate its visitor policy in the spring.
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