Patients and visitors will notice that Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center has made some changes as a result of the H1N1 virus, also known as the swine flu.

The hospital is following instructions from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to protect patients from the virus.

Infection control stations, which include a hand sanitizer, masks and tissues, have been placed at the main entrance.

“Washing your hands consistently throughout the day or using a hand sanitizer and not touching your hands to your nose, eyes or face is the most effective way to fight off the spread of the flu,” said hospital spokesperson Kris Carraway-Bowman.

All hospital employees are required to get the seasonal flu vaccine by Mon., Nov. 2. If they decline, they must wear a mask during their shifts until the flu season is over.

“That is determined by the CDC,” Carraway-Bowman said.

The hospital is in the process of determining the number of flu patients they’ve admitted to the hospital so they can submit that information to the CDC, she said. It’s already known that four pediatric patients have been admitted so far this year for acute flulike symptoms.

“We’ve raised the visiting age effective immediately and continuing through the end of the flu season, which is determined by the CDC,” she said on Monday.

Visitors, including siblings of newborns, must now be 16 years or older.

“Our decision to adjust the age came after reviewing CDC flu guidelines, surveying other hospitals’ policies and receiving input from our medical staff,” Carraway-Bowman said.

It’s vital for the hospital to continue adjusting its policies wherever possible to limit the spread of the flu viruses, she said.