A flu outbreak that claimed the lives of seven elderly residents at a Co Donegal nursing home has been declared over. The HSE confirmed yesterday that the outbreak at Nazareth House, Fahan, Buncrana, was officially declared over on April 14th. It said a report into the outbreak would be made public.
All residents at the home who were suffering from symptoms of influenza had since recovered, the HSE confirmed. However, no new residents would be admitted until a deep clean is completed.
“Residents will be admitted once a terminal clean has been completed,” said a HSE spokeswoman. “No further investigation is under way but we will be keeping a watching brief for the next week or so. A report will be written and it will be made available to the public as soon as possible.”
Six residents in their 80s and 90s died at the Sisters of Nazareth care home between March 22nd and April 2nd as a result of the outbreak. At one stage up to 14 residents at the 48-bed facility were infected and had to be segregated from other residents.
The HSE stressed yesterday that while flu was a relatively mild infection in the general population, it was a “common cause of death in older people”. It urged people to follow simple measures such as covering the mouth, washing hands and disposing of tissues. It also advised people visiting older residents in nursing homes and healthcare staff to ensure their influenza vaccinations were up to date.