Flu outbreak hits Addenbrooke’s

People have been advised to stay away from the hospital unless it is an emergency

Over 60 patients at Addenbrooke's have contracted the virusD. Dinneen

by Sophie Penney

This article is 9 years old

Tuesday January 31 2017, 12:48pm

An outbreak of flu at Addenbrooke’s hospital has caused two wards to be closed and operations to be delayed.

Over 60 patients are ill with the virus, which is also present in public areas such as the concourse.

People have been urged to stay away from the hospital unless it is an emergency, keeping visiting to a minimum and not bringing children on site. Some patients have been diverted to other hospitals.

Medical Director of the Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Dr Jag Ahluwalia said: "The hospital is full and we're struggling to cope. We have high numbers of people with flu across the hospital.

“For coughs, colds and flu-like illnesses, people are better off at home, resting and drinking plenty of fluids. We need people to stay away from the hospital, and ask themselves – ‘do you need to be here?’”

Influenza is a virus and therefore cannot be treated by antibiotics, however many people can have a flu vaccine free on the NHS.

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