Delaware Healthcare Association President Wayne Smith said officials from hospitals across the state collectively agreed to the new guidelines to protect patients, their families and healthcare workers from versions of the flu. Nationwide, states are implementing new, temporary visitation guidelines, he said.

Members of safety committees from all the state’s hospitals will continue to meet weekly by conference call throughout flu season to determine if the limited visitation schedules need to be adjusted and when they can be relaxed, Smith said.

“These things are discussed and thought about all the time in the healthcare industry,” said Smith.

“This flu is the reverse of most flus, in that the young are most susceptible. The normal flu affects older people. Because the public isn’t used to thinking about this flu strain other than along the lines of the annual flu, there is a heightened need for public-service announcements and public education from healthcare providers,” Smith said.

The association says people younger than 16 are at risk for more flu complications and remain contagious longer than do adults.

People with flu-related symptoms, including fever, body aches, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, nausea or vomiting, should not visit hospitals unless they are seeking treatment, says the association.

Those visiting hospitals may be asked to wear an isolation mask, and the association recommends the use of masks and frequent hand-washing.