Thursday, December 11, 2025–10:45 a.m.
-Atrium Health Floyd News Release-
As respiratory illnesses rise, Atrium Health Floyd is urging everyone to take steps to protect themselves and those around them. Simple actions like practicing good hygiene, staying up to date on vaccinations, and staying home when sick, can help keep individuals, families and communities safer this sick season.
Health experts strongly recommend the best ways to help keep more people healthy and limit the spread of illness include:
- Stay home when sick: Protect others by staying home if you have symptoms of respiratory illness, such as a cough, fever or fatigue.
- Get vaccinated: Vaccines remain the most effective tool for preventing severe illness. Make sure you are up to date on vaccinations appropriate for your situation, including this year’s updated flu and COVID-19 shots, and the RSV vaccine, if appropriate. Talk to your doctor if you have questions or need guidance about the best options for you.
- Practice good respiratory etiquette: Wash hands frequently, cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, and avoid close contact with others when feeling sick.
For those needing non-emergency care, Atrium Health Floyd offers several options, including:
- Virtual Primary Care: Choose a provider and care team for most of your ongoing primary care needs, from the comfort of your home. Convenient, virtual on-demand care options are available with 24/7 video e-visits for adults and children, not just during sick season but all year round.
- Primary Care: Contact your primary care provider if you have flu-like symptoms.
- Urgent Care: If experiencing mild to moderate symptoms, consider either a virtual or in-person urgent care option for mild to moderate symptoms to avoid long wait times in emergency departments.
Members of the community can easily find care options by visiting atriumhealthfloydharbin.org.
“When we each take these steps — like staying home when sick, getting vaccinated and practicing good respiratory etiquette — we help protect not only ourselves but also our families, neighbors, and the most vulnerable members of our community,” says Dr. Katie Passaretti, VP, chief infection prevention officer for Advocate Health, of which Atrium Health Floyd is a part. “Together, these simple actions make a meaningful difference in reducing the spread of respiratory illnesses this season.”
Atrium Health Floyd implements visitor restrictions for some areas
In addition to recommending ways to prevent illness and get needed care, Atrium Health Floyd is implementing temporary visitor restrictions in acute care hospitals, emergency departments, rehabilitation units and facilities, behavioral health, inpatient hospice, infusion centers and certain cancer areas including bone marrow transplant clinics, effective Wednesday, Dec. 10. These restrictions are in response to a sustained increase in respiratory viruses in the community and designed to protect vulnerable patients. The restrictions include:
- Visitor age limit: Children 12 and under and anyone with respiratory symptoms should not visit the locations listed above, except healthy siblings visiting newborns in Mother and Baby or Labor & Delivery units. Healthy children under 12 must stay with a caregiver and cannot visit other patient care areas.
- Other exceptions to visitor restrictions may be made in special cases if the child is symptom-free and receives approval from the clinical team.
- Visitors with respiratory symptoms should not visit.
- Masking policy: We ask that visitors at these locations wear masks in areas where direct patient care is provided and in waiting areas.
“To help keep adult, newborn, and pediatric patients and our health care workers healthy, we ask that anyone who is feeling sick stay home and do not visit,” Passaretti says. “This helps protect all our patients during a time when more people tend to get sick.”
Atrium Health Floyd thanks community members and visitors for their cooperation and for helping make health care environments safer for all.
It is important to note that some hospitals and care locations may have additional restrictions on visitors in certain areas, and restrictions are subject to change without notice. Please read and follow signage posted on-site and follow any directions provided by staff members at the health care site.
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