May 18, 2013
More hospitals in North Carolina are restricting visitors in an effort to stop the spread of the flu.
Starting Monday, visitors under age 18 won't be allowed to see patients at WakeMed without a doctor's permission.
Hospitals including Duke University Health System, Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville, Southeastern Regional Medical Center in Lumberton and FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst have already put similar restrictions in place.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services says flu activity in the state is at the highest level recorded in the past decade. There have been 14 flu-related deaths since early October, with 11 of those deaths in patients age 65 and older.
Only nine people died in North Carolina during the 2011 flu season.
