Interior Health sites are experiencing a rise in contagious illnesses, as is often the case during the winter months. These infections are also common in the community at this time of year.
To limit the spread of illness and protect those receiving care, Interior Health asks people with loved ones in health-care sites to be aware of the location of respiratory or gastrointestinal outbreaks.
All sites with an outbreak are listed on the IH public website (www.interiorhealth.ca) on the Communicable Disease Control page, Alerts & Reports, Active Facility Outbreaks, and updated regularly.
Visitors to sites with outbreaks are asked to postpone their visit to a later date. Sites with outbreaks also post written notices at the entrance and contact family members directly. Guests are encouraged to watch for these notices and delay their visit to a time that will be safer for their loved ones, themselves, and the community as a whole.
Gastrointestinal infections (GI) are most commonly caused by viruses and bacteria. The illness is spread from person to person through germs in the stool or vomit of infected people.
Respiratory infections (RI) are spread through droplets containing the virus or bacteria when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Respiratory infections can be caused by influenza (the flu).
For more information about GI and RI illnesses visit the Norovirus Health File and FluSeason at www.healthlinkbc.ca.