Starting December 8, the Detroit Medical Center is limiting visitors at its hospitals, including the Children’s Hospital of Michigan, to two per patient. Visitors 12 and under are not allowed on inpatient floors or observation units, and visitors 13 and older with symptoms like fever, cough, or rash should postpone their visit. Michigan is seeing a rise in pediatric flu cases and deaths. Dr. Rudolph Valentini, chief medical officer for Children’s Hospital of Michigan, said, “We’ve seen an uptick rate over about three or four consecutive weeks, where the test positivity rate started in the small two to four percent range, later went up to about nine percent, thirteen percent two weeks ago, and we were close to twenty-one percent last week.” Health officials recommend getting a flu vaccine, according to ClickOnDetroit.
Dr. Teena Chopra, DMC’s corporate medical director of infection prevention, said, “We are seeing higher rates very early on, even before the holidays.” Michigan is experiencing an early and severe flu season, with vaccination rates around 21% statewide, lower than national averages, as reported by Detroit Free Press…