Concerns about the swine flu have prompted Inova hospitals to keep siblings from greeting the newest addition to their families. In fact, all visitors under 18 will be banned from all Inova hospitals starting Thursday, Oct.1 and continuing through flu season.
The affected facilities include Inova Alexandria, Inova Fair Oaks, Inova Fairfax, Inova Loudoun and Inova Mount Vernon hospitals in Northern Virginia.
“"If we allowed a sick person to come visit one of your family members and they became sick with H1N1, how would you feel?" said Dr. Allen Morrison of Inova Health System. "Our first mission is safety."
There are limitations on adults as well. Inova is limiting visitors to two blocks: from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Only two people may visit an inpatient at a time. There will also be special limitations for critical care and oncology.
