Feel sick? Stay home, says public health ­department

In the lead up to the holidays, the regional healthcare establishment, the CIUSSS de l’Estrie – CHUS, and the public health department are encouraging members of the population to take care of themselves and to think twice before heading to the emergency room. “The holiday season is a time when we see an increase in all kinds of infections,” said Lyne Cardinal, Director of General Services with the CIUSSS de l’Estrie – CHUS, explaining that for a variety of reasons hospital emergency rooms have a tendency to be much busier during this time of year. In order to help offset that busyness, the healthcare establishment has launched a new section of its website devoted to providing people with alternatives to the emergency room. See full story in the Thursday, Dec. 20 edition of The Record.