Columbia prison under quarantine after flu spreads to more inmates, SC officials say
A quarantine was put in place at a prison in Columbia after multiple inmates were diagnosed with the flu, the South Carolina Department of Corrections said Wednesday.
All of the Camille Graham Correctional Institution is under a medical quarantine protocol, the Department of Corrections said on Twitter.
The women’s-only prison on Broad River Road is a medium-security institution, according to the Department of Corrections.
A third inmate at the prison tested positive for influenza Wednesday, according to the tweet.
The diagnosed inmates, as well as those exhibiting symptoms, will be given extra fluids and monitored closely, according to prison officials.
Treatment for the diagnosed inmates includes a combination of Tamiflu, ibuprofen, acetaminophen and fluids, a Department of Corrections spokesperson told The State.
Anyone who exhibits symptoms will be monitored closely and given treatment to provide comfort, a Department of Corrections spokesperson said.
The quarantine involves other steps to prevent an outbreak of the virus.
Those measures include extra wellness checks and cleaning the prison “thoroughly,” the Department of Corrections tweeted.
Prison officials said they are working with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control to get more doses of the flu shot for the inmates. The prisoners were offered the vaccine earlier in the year, according to Department of Corrections.
Routine medical care is offered 24-hours a day at the prison, according to Department of Corrections.
Across the state, there have been eight influenza-related deaths in South Carolina during the current flu season, and the virus’ activity is considered widespread, according to DHEC.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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This story was originally published December 11, 2019 at 2:56 PM.
