UNC Health, Duke Health to limit visitors as flu cases spike. How to stay safe.
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Duke Health limits visitors starting Jan. 6 as flu cases double in one week.
- Flu volume rose from 202 to 436 cases; H3N2 strain drives more severe illness.
- Vaccination low in NC; officials urge shots, isolation, and urgent care triage.
With a twofold increase in flu cases in one week, Duke Health is temporarily limiting who can visit a patient, how many visitors a patient can have and when they can visit.
On Friday, UNC Health announced that it too is restricting visitors.
Starting Tuesday, Jan. 6, patients can have no more than two visitors at a time, Duke announced Tuesday. Daytime visitors must be age 12 and older; overnight visitors must be at least 18 unless they are the parent or caregiver of a minor patient.
Visitors under the age of 12 are not allowed unless they have special circumstances or prior approval from a health care provider.
Duke Health hospitals saw 202 flu cases the week of Dec. 16, according to Duke Health spokesperson Matt Talhelm. That number more than doubled for the week of Dec. 23, jumping to 436 cases.
At UNC Health, visitors 11 years old and younger will be prohibited from all hospital inpatient areas and all waiting areas starting Monday.
Visitors older than 11 with respiratory symptoms are prohibited from all inpatient areas and waiting areas. All employees at inpatient locations must wear a mask while providing direct patient care, and masks are strongly encouraged for patients and visitors.
In the Triangle, the UNC Health rules cover UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill and Hillsborough, UNC Health Rex in Raleigh and Holly Springs, UNC Health Chatham in Siler City, and UNC Health Johnston in Clayton and Smithfield. In some other parts of the state, some visitor restrictions went into effect this week.
WakeMed already started visitation restrictions as of Monday, Dec. 22. Children under 12 are not allowed in hospital nursing units, patient care areas, waiting rooms and emergency departments. Anyone with symptoms of contagious illness is asked to stay home to protect patients and staff.
What to know
Duke Health pediatric infectious diseases specialist Dr. Melissa Campbell said the system anticipated an intense flu season after seeing flu activity peak in the Southern Hemisphere, which has its flu season from April to September. New strains like the H3N2 strain are more contagious and inducing more severe bouts with the flu, making the current flu season more aggressive than in recent years.
Flu cases have been most severe in those under the age of 5, those over the age of 65 and those who are immunocompromised, Campbell said. Patients who are not vaccinated are at higher risk of a severe flu case.
“When I say severe disease, it’s pneumonia, need for oxygen, need for a breathing tube, hospital stays, ICU stays — and that is what we want to prevent with immunization,” Campbell said.
Roughly 20% of North Carolinians — and almost 27% of Durham County residents — were vaccinated against the flu as of Dec. 27, data from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) show. That is a slight decrease from 21.6% of North Carolinians being vaccinated at the same time last year.
The CDC recommends anyone older than six months get vaccinated. Those under the age of 5 or over 65 and those with serious medical conditions are especially encouraged to get vaccinated, Campbell said.
“We know that folks could get infected with flu even more than once in a flu season,” Campbell said. “So it’s not too late to get your flu shot.”
Isolating at home and staying away from large gatherings if you have a cough, fever, headache or congestion can also slow the spread of flu, Campbell said.
Duke Health has yet to face a bed shortage this flu season, but it is seeing higher volume than usual, Campbell said. She encouraged people with mild flu symptoms to visit their primary care provider or local urgent care first to reserve space for those who are the sickest or most vulnerable to a severe flu episode.
This story was originally published January 1, 2026 at 5:30 AM with the headline "UNC Health, Duke Health to limit visitors as flu cases spike. How to stay safe.."
.jpg)