Peebles hospital closes doors to new admissions

A statement from NHS Borders this afternoon said: “Routine visiting is strongly discouraged at this time, and relatives and carers are asked to carefully consider their visits to the hospital.

“The general advice is to stay away from any hospital ward if you or anyone in your family has experienced symptoms of diarrhoea and/or vomiting in the past 48 hours.

“Thank you for your cooperation.”

One of the most common causes of diarrhoea and vomiting is the very infectious norovirus, which is more common in the winter months.

People are reminded to wash their hands with soap and water after contact with people with diarrhoea symptoms in hospital and at home.

Common symptoms of norovirus are diarrhoea and/or vomiting, generally lasting between 12-72 hours. Other symptoms can include headache, fever and muscle aches. Anyone can get the infection and it can be serious in the very young, frail or older people who are vulnerable to the effects of dehydration.

Treatment for norovirus in most cases requires drinking more fluids than usual and resting to give your body a chance to fight the infection. Because it is a virus, antibiotics will not help.