Two more patients have died at a hospital at the centre of a norovirus outbreak.

Six patients have now died at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley since last week.

Hospital chiefs say they all had underlying medical conditions which caused their deaths. They had all also contracted the norovirus bug, which causes sickness and diarrhoea.

The deaths come as Scotland's Chief Medical Officer Sir Harry Burns said outbreaks of norovirus have fallen in recent years.

The two new deaths were confirmed yesterday with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Seven wards at the hospital remain closed to new admissions because of a number of reported norovirus cases. One ward reopened yesterday.

A total of 22 patients are currently showing symptoms of the virus.

Outwith the wards affected, the RAH continues to run as normal. Patients who have outpatient appointments or have a planned hospital admission should attend these as usual.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde consultant microbiologist Dr Teresa Inkster said: "People can help limit the spread of the virus by ensuring good hand hygiene at all times."

Sir Harry Burns said the "vast majority" of people with norovirus would recover.

And he added: "Where people are ill due to other reasons, then the stress of having this virus can be the final straw and, regrettably, that's what we've seen with one or two cases."

He stressed that norovirus cases were decreasing, saying: "The number of outbreaks, has fallen over the past few years. So things are stable and probably going in the right direction. It's something we are seeing less of, a 16% reduction in the figures over the past two or three years."

ewan.fergus@ eveningtimes.co.uk

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