Carilion Clinic has banned children and teens under the age of 18 from visiting its hospitals as part of its stepped-up efforts to reduce the spread of flu-like illnesses including the H1N1 virus.

“As the number of patients with flu-like illness continues to increase, we feel that additional precautions are necessary,” Dr. Thomas Kerkering, medical director of Carilion Clinic’s Infectious Disease Department, said in a news release. “We are trying to protect our patients, their families and our hospital staff, while reducing opportunities for flu to spread in the community.”   

Aside from the ban on visitors under the age of 18, other steps announced today include:

• Patients with flu-like illness are limited to one visitor.

• Visitors to any patients who are isolated with flu-like illness are limited to one person at a time and will be required to wear masks, gloves and gowns as requested by hospital staff. Visitors are discouraged for such patients in general.

• People with flu-like symptoms and colds should not visit the hospital.

The Roanoke-based hospital chain has posted information on swine flu at a Web site: CarilionClinic.org/swineflu