In response to declining flu rates throughout the hospital, community and state, WakeMed Health & Hospitals is lifting visitation restrictions effective Feb. 14.

WakeMed continuously monitors and mitigates influenza activity among patients. “At this time, there has been a notable decrease in the risk of flu cases being brought into our hospitals and facilities by visitors,” commented Vickie Brown, RN, WakeMed director of Infection Prevention and Control. “Visitation restrictions help reduce the risk of infection for patients, and we are appreciative of the support and cooperation of our patients, their loved ones and the surrounding community over the past two and a half months.”

WakeMed has seen and treated a vast majority of flu cases and flu-like illnesses that hit Triangle residents hard starting in November.

However, because it is still flu season, WakeMed asks all visitors and their children not to visit patients if they show signs of any of the following symptoms:

• Generalized body aches

• Headache

• Sore throat

• Fever

• Coughing, nasal drainage and stuffy head

• Diarrhea within the past 24 hours

• Vomiting within the past 24 hours

WakeMed’s visitation restrictions were originally made effective on December 31, 2012, to protect patients, visitors and employees during a particularly harsh flu season.

For more information, visit the WakeMed Flu Resource Center at www.wakemed.org.