’Flu outbreak ‘fizzles’ at Rainycrest

Rainycrest Home for the Aged here is open to the public again after being closed to all visitors for about two weeks as the Northwestern Health Unit fought to control the spread of the Influenza ‘A’ virus.
“We’re very happy with the outcome of measures taken to control the ’flu,” said Ken Allan, team leader at the health unit here.
“The impact of the virus was really softened by the aggressive control measures, and, knock on wood, this round seems to be over,” he added.
One wing at Rainycrest, which served as a quarantine area for residents down with the ’flu, had been closed to visitors since Jan. 6.
But as the threat of more residents contracting the virus grew, and the number of confirmed cases peaked at 15, the entire home was closed to visitors.
Since then, the cases have dwindled to none, which Allan attributed to efforts on the part of Rainycrest staff.
“We were impressed with their dedication and co-operation,” he said. “Administration was very good at making sure everyone had been immunized or were taking anti-viral medication.
“And also, the outbreak fizzled because staff worked very hard to make sure to wash their hands, enforce a strict admission policy, and so on,” he added.
As for the future, Rainycrest is expected to get more vocal about discouraging sick people from visiting the home year-round to keep all 147 residents as healthy as possible.