As some hospitals across the state begin easing restrictions regarding child visitations, Thomasville Medical Center feels the time just isn’t right to let its guard down.

With the H1N1 flu virus spreading, Novant — the corporation that owns TMC — issued a company-wide policy in September restricting visitors under the age of 18 in an effort to protect patients from exposure. Anyone under 18 was not allowed to visit patient rooms and were restricted from hospital lobbies, waiting areas and classrooms.

Duke University Medical Center in Durham, Moses Cone Health System in Greensboro and hospitals in Chapel Hill have since started lifting such restrictions as the spread of H1N1 is slowly declining.

“We had contemplated it,” Jane Wilder, TMC’s director of community relations, said. “At this point, we’re not 100 percent sure we’re completely out of the woods yet for everybody.”

TMC is making exceptions for Christmas, however. On Thursday and Friday, visitors under the age of 18 will be allowed to visit loved ones at TMC for a short period of time if they have no flu symptoms, and they may be required to wear surgical masks while on the hospital’s campus. Lexington Memorial Hospital is taking similar measures over the next two days.

“Ours is still in effect,” said Wilder. “We are releasing it for Christmas Eve and Christmas day. We are keeping our visitation limits on. We are cautiously optimistic. We know it’s a inconvenience and we appreciate everyone working with us. We need to keep it place until we know for sure it’s not coming back.”

Wilder said TMC is maintaining restrictions to avoid any confusion should the H1N1 virus begin spreading again. Rather than lift any visitation ban only to re-apply it later will risk making the situation worse, Wilder said. Restrictions were put in place due to the fact that people under 18 are some of the most affected by the H1N1 virus.

“We think it would be easier to just maintain it right now versus lifting it and having to put it back on,” Wilder said. “We’re not sure we’re not going to have another wave of people getting sick. We’re trying to make the wisest decision possible in terms of helping people know what we’re doing. If you take it off and put it back up, it makes it hard on people to keep up.”

Visitation restrictions also will remain at other local hospitals such as Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Forsyth Medical Center, Rowan Medical Center and Medical Park Hospital in Kernersville.



Staff Writer Eliot Duke can be reached at 888-3578, or duke@tvilletimes.com.