As the H3N2 flu strain, commonly referred to as influenza A,
continues to sweep across the nation, hospitals like OSF Saint
James-John W. Albrecht Medical Center have begun to take
preventative measures to curb the spread of the virus, including
the use of masks and limiting visitors to several areas of the
medical center. These limitations include restriction of all
people under 18 who are visiting admitted hospital patients in
the units of medical, surgical, intensive care, the family
birthing center, or in ambulatory care, such as outpatient
surgery, without permission of the staff. Pamela Meiner,
director of Marketing and Communications for Saint James, said,
“We are implementing the age restriction to people under 18
primarily because of the presence of seasonal flu virus in the
school systems in our region. With seasonal flu viruses in the
schools, children naturally are at a higher risk to contract the
virus through exposure and may attend school not even showing
flu symptoms until it’s too late and by