By Gillian Ellison

Published at 11:09, Thursday, 29 March 2012

TWO areas of West Cumberland Hospital still remain closed to new patients due to an outbreak of a sickness bug.

The Norovirus situation has improved since last week but visitors with symptoms, or those who have not been clear of symptoms for 48 hours, are still being advised to think twice before going to see patients.

Areas of Kirkstone and Jenkin wards are affected but the full wards are not closed.

Norovirus, the most common cause of vomiting and diarrhoea, is a nasty infection for anyone who gets it but can be particularly dangerous for people with other medical conditions.

Known as the winter vomiting bug, it affects between 600,000 and one million people in the United Kingdom every year.

It is normally a short-lived, self-limiting infection from which people will usually recover within 12 to 60 hours.

The condition is highly contagious unless great care is taken to contain.

A spokesman for the hospital said: “We are asking anyone who feels unwell or has shown symptoms of Norovirus within the past 48 hours not to visit patients.”

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk