MAXONIANS suffering the misery of the UK’s Winter Vomiting Bug are being urged to recover at home – to avoid clogging A&E.
Outbreaks of the hugely unpleasant norovirus have been reported nationwide and East Cheshire NHS Trust has responded by urging sufferers to remain indoors and self medicate.
Chairwoman Kathy Cowell said Macclesfield Hospital had fortunately so far not seen many cases of the bug.
"If people don’t feel well, please don’t come into hospital – that is very important," she said.
"It perhaps hasn’t got up this far north yet but we are not complacent and know that these things spread like wildfire.
"There is a TV campaign on at the moment saying that it is better to stay at home in the warmth, dosing yourself up, rather than going into a waiting room and taking it there.
"These things are very contagious there is no doubt about it, and if you are already ill, you pick up things much more quickly.
"We know this bug is in the community, but we aren’t feeling the impact of it yet."
North West Ambulance Service has also called on those who think they have been struck down by the bug not to dial 999, to combat "an extremely high level of calls".
Central and Eastern Cheshire Primary Care Trust said it was not aware of a rise in appointments with Macclesfield GPs or any outbreak of the virus in the community.
