Hospital limits visitors after norovirus outbreak

A hospital has been temporarily closed to most visitors following a norovirus outbreak.

The restrictions at York Hospital had been put in place with immediate effect, a spokesperson said.

However, exceptions included people visiting patients receiving end-of-life care as well as those visiting paediatric and maternity patients, while family carers for people with dementia could also continue to visit, they added.

Dawn Parkes, chief nurse at York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "While I appreciate the decision is a difficult one, our priority is to keep our patients safe from infection and to stop the spread of the virus as quickly as possible."

The restriction would remain in place until further notice, the trust spokesperson said.

According to the NHS website, most people recover from norovirus - also known as the winter vomiting bug - within one or two days.

However, it could be more serious for some people, especially elderly people and those with underlying health conditions or weakened immune systems.

Symptoms included vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach pains, body aches or pains and a high temperature.

Norovirus has the potential to spread quickly and could be caught from close contact with someone who was infected.

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