Indianapolis hospitals are starting visitor restrictions on Monday, Dec. 22, to curb rising flu and RSV cases.
Emergency departments are seeing higher rates of flu-like illness among children and teenagers, according to a Dec. 18 release from the Marion County Public Health Department. Cases of respiratory syncytial virus, another infection that peaks in the wintertime, are highest among children ages 0 to 4.
A state dashboard also shows increasing levels of COVID-19 in wastewater testing.
People who are under 18 or experiencing symptoms such as runny nose, fever, cough or a sore throat are temporarily barred from visiting hospitals in Marion County. That includes Community Health Network, Eskenazi Health, IU Health, Ascension St. Vincent and Franciscan Health Indianapolis.
In the release, Dr. Virginia Caine, the chief medical officer at the county health department, emphasized getting vaccinated to protect yourself and others during the holidays — especially for children, older adults and those who are immunocompromised.
“It’s not too late to get a flu shot,” Caine said.
If you do visit hospitals, wash your hands and cover any coughing or sneezing. Staff will have free masks available, per the release.
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