All the wards in a major Scottish hospital have been shut due to cases of a contagious vomiting virus.
Belford Hospital in Fort William closed all its wards after a number of Norovirus cases.
The hospital’s ward one and the combined assessment unit have stopped accepting new admissions.
Norovirus, also called the winter vomiting bug, is a highly contagious stomach bug that causes vomiting and diarrhoea.
NHS officials have also restricted patient visits in the hospital, only allowing the most essential visits to loved ones in the wards.
What are the symptoms of norovirus?
If you have been infected with norovirus, you will experience:
- Feeling sick (nausea)
- Diarrhoea
- Being sick (vomiting)
- These last two may even occur at the same time, which gives norovirus its notoriety as an illness you don’t want to get
You may also have:
High temperature
Headaches
Aching arms and legs
An NHS Highland spokesperson said in a statement: ‘We have had to close both wards in Belford Hospital to new admissions due to Norovirus.’
‘Restricted visiting is also in place but please contact staff on the ward if you feel your visit is necessary and they will be able to advise.’
In March this year levels of the winter bug were ‘exceptionally high’ in England.
Around 900 hospital beds were filled each day by patients with norovirus symptoms in the middle of the month, although cases did start to fall towards the end of March.
