Virus outbreak brings widespread ward closure

Over 50 hospital wards in England and Wales have been closed to new patients in an attempt to halt the spread of the vomiting bug norovirus.

Doctors have claimed that the current outbreak is the worst since 2002 with more than a 100,000 people a week catching the bug, reports the BBC.

Greater Manchester has seen a string of closures with fifteen wards now closed to new admissions.

Over a quarter of the wards have now been shut at the Royal Great Oldham hospital and the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust has cancelled all non-urgent operations until January 9th due to “unrelenting pressure” as a result of the virus.

Other hospitals are telling people not to visit if they have been sick or if their visit is not essential.

The Health Protection Agency has estimated that the norovirus may cost the NHS over 100 million pounds because of ward closures.

Even though the bug is not usually dangerous, people who have been struck down by it have been urged to not go back to work until two days after the symptoms have disappeared.

Contact with an infected person, eating contaminated food or drink and contact with contaminated surfaces are all ways in which the virus is transmitted.