Pictured in 1960, the University Hospital’s Isolation Unit was located on the 12th floor of Jefferson Tower. Because there were fewer antibiotics at the time and undiagnosed infections were more prevalent, it was not uncommon for incoming patients to first be admitted to the Isolation Unit before being transferred to another ward within the hospital.
Today, protecting patients takes a complex and multilayered approach — especially in the time of the novel coronavirus. Because COVID-19 is spread from person to person through coughing or sneezing, UAB hospitals and clinics have prohibited all visitors and non-essential health care personnel, excluding compassionate care situations such as end-of-life circumstances and maternity care, and many patients are housed in isolation rooms with negative airflow to further prevent spread of the virus.