Personal Injury Law

Norovirus Stops Admissions At Top Denver Area Hospital

By Marler Clark LLP

We've been tracking norovirus outbreaks around the country all winter.  It's never good news, but when it hits an important medical center; it's especially  bad.  Tonight comes this news from the Denver Post:

One of the nation's top rehabilitation hospitals has a stomach bug, officials at Craig Hospital in Englewood said tonight.

Since last week, 15 staff members and five patients have contracted a norovirus, a stomach flu, at the 93-bed not-for-profit hospital

The virus has been isolated to one of the hospital's four in-patient units. The hospital is not accepting admissions to that unit until the outbreak has subsided, according to a statement from the hospital.

"There is no way to know the origin of the virus; (it) may have been brought in by outpatients, families, visitors or staff," Pat Goley, the hospital's infection control specialist, stated.

The main method of preventing the highly contagious virus is frequent handwashing, she said.

"We have had strict and aggressive handwashing protocols for years at Craig, but sometimes these infections can occur," Goley stated.

Craig Hospital has been ranked among the top ten rehab hospitals in the nation for the past ten  years by US News & World Report.   The DP's story can be found here.

Full post as published by Norovirus Blog on February 21, 2008 (boomark / email).