Hospitals ban child visitors as flu cases rise

[The Straight Story]

Hospitals ban child visitors as flu cases rise

The Arizona Republic

The number of confirmed H1N1 flu cases in Arizona tripled over the past week after a dip earlier this month.

Concern that cases will keep rising rapidly is causing some hospitals to ban children from patient rooms or all areas as a precaution against spread of the virus.

Still, the number of weekly flu cases is nowhere near what it was earlier this year, when more than 300 cases were reported during a single week in early May. Also, many schools have not reported any cases during the first few weeks of classes.

Statewide totals of confirmed swine-flu cases rose from 17 during the week ending Aug. 19 to 58 during the week ending Wednesday, according to state officials. There were 54 cases in the week ending Aug. 5.

"It's definitely a jump, but it's not consistent enough to say it's a pattern," said Laura Oxley, a spokeswoman for the Arizona Department of Health Services.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/08/29/20090829flurestrictions0829.html