Gastro outbreak puts hospitals under pressure
Posted
The public hospital system in northern Sydney and on the New South Wales Central Coast is under renewed stress.
An outbreak of gastroenteritis is adding pressure to waiting times in emergency departments, which are already being tested by a bad flu season associated with the coldest winter in 21 years.
Doctor Peter Lewis, from the Northern Sydney Central Coast Area Health Service, says people with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and muscle aches should stay at home.
"We're also seeing [the illness] coming into the hospitals through visitors, staff, people who may be just becoming sick. They are all able to pass the infection on to other people," he said.
"It is important if you're feeling unwell that you stay at home. You don't go to work or have a lot of contact with people.
"That can slow the spread of gastroenteritis in the community."
