A ‘No Visitors’ policy returns to hospitals in central Ohio following a recent surge of COVID-19 cases in the state. Credit: Courtesy of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
The Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State and other central Ohio hospital systems reinstated their no-visitor policies due to COVID-19, according to a Tuesday Wexner Medical Center press release.
In response to the recent surge of COVID-19 cases, inpatient and emergency department visitors at the medical center, OhioHealth and Mount Carmel Health System have not been allowed inside the hospitals since Wednesday, save a few exceptions, according to the release.
“The changes in the visitation policy have a profound effect on the patient experience. We get that, and it was not a decision that was made lightly,” Dr. Joseph Gastaldo, assistant medical director of infectious diseases at OhioHealth, said.
Some of the exceptions to the no-visitor policy include:
- Maternity
- End-of-life
- Patients with impairments
- Patients who are minors
Gastaldo said patients who meet the exception criteria are allowed one visitor, but visitation parameters and frequency will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Visitors who are allowed in the hospital are required to wear a hospital-approved mask at all times, have no COVID-19 symptoms or recent exposure, sanitize their hands frequently and stay within the designated waiting area or with the patient, according to the release.
Visitor restrictions, first put in place in March, were eased in June to allow restricted general visitation while the state began to allow more businesses to reopen, Amy Helder, administrative director at the Wexner Medical Center, said.
Franklin County became the first county in Ohio to enter a level four public emergency Thursday — the highest level of COVID-19 risk. Most counties in Ohio are under a level three public emergency, meaning there’s very high exposure and spread of COVID-19, and activities should be limited as much as possible, according to the Public Health Advisory Alert System.
Starting Friday at 6 p.m., Franklin County and Columbus will be under a stay-at-home advisory and Ohio is under a nighttime curfew for the next three weeks.
As of Wednesday, Ohio has 3,824 current COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to a press release from the governor’s office.
Gastaldo said there has not been a proven or documented case of a visitor infecting a patient or health care provider with COVID-19 at any of these hospitals.
Helder said the hospitals made this decision based on the COVID-19 data from the state and will monitor transmission and positivity rates to make individual decisions regarding visitation return.
“Unfortunately, it’s difficult to tell when we will be back to a safe point, but given the current numbers and the sustained spike, I anticipate that we may be in this restricted phase for a while, and certainly until we feel it’s safe to welcome visitors back into our hospital,” Helder said.
In lieu of in-person visits, Helder said the hospitals encourage the use of virtual communication to keep in touch with patients. At Ohio State specifically, she said this connection can occur through MyChart, through which a patient’s loved ones can monitor their health information, and tablets provided by the hospital so patients can speak with their families.
“This is a time for us to be innovative and really use the resources that we have available to us to stay connected in some other ways during a time that’s really difficult for everyone,” Helder said.
