The Oxford Veterans Home is currently discouraging visitors due to flu.
Though the veterans home is still accepting visitors, there are six confirmed cases of the flu, according to the Mississippi Veterans Affairs Board.
“As a precaution and as recommended by the health department, the home was quarantined a week ago,” Eric Jordan, director of the Mississippi VA Board, said. “The quarantine was implemented mainly because of the high prevalence of flu in the area and not so much because of the small number of cases in the home.”
Jordan said the home is discouraging visitors until the quarantine is lifted.
Jordan said if no new cases of flu develop by Saturday, Feb. 25, the quarantine will be lifted.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, people 65 years and older are at greater risk of serious complications from the flu compared to younger people because their immune systems can be significantly weaker.
“Any time you have a vulnerable population, such as elderly people living close together, you want to limit the outside exposure to keep the flu controlled,” said Liz Sharlot, director of communications for the Mississippi State Department of Health.
