Hospital asks visitors to be careful

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - One hospital is asking its sick visitors to stay home.  

Union Hospital told News 10 someone sick with the flu should not visit someone in care.   

Dr. John Bolinger, Vice President of Medical Affairs, said Wednesday, they were completely full.   

But Thursday was a little better. They do have a few beds open.   

Out of the over 350 beds in the hospital, 307 of them are full.   

They've seen almost 200 patients in a 24 hour period, which is higher than usual.   

One day this week, they saw a 40 percent admission rate into the hospital from the emergency room. Now, on a normal day, it's usually only a 20 percent.   

Dr. Bolinger said Vigo County has been hit pretty hard with this influenza-like illness.  

Now, hospitalized patients are already ill and that places them at a lot higher risk of getting a severe case of flu as opposed to a mild case.   

He's asking visitors to only come to the hospital if it is essential and you're experiencing flu-like symptoms.   

"We’re asking that visitors to the hospital consider not visiting their loved ones if they have flu-like symptoms, that would include, fever, cough, runny nose, stuffy nose, headaches, the usual symptoms. We’re asking that they not visit,” said Dr. Bolinger.

High-risk patients, such as people with heart disease, diabetes or lung disease, do run the risk of succumbing to this influenza. They highly recommend these patients get the flu shot.