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State regulators visited Moses Cone Health System on Friday to look at infectious controls procedures after a respiratory therapist unknowingly exposed 33 babies in The Women’s Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit to the H1N1 virus, or swine flu.

A report on any findings won’t be available for at least a couple of weeks, said Mark Van Sciver, a spokesman for the state Department of Health and Human Services, whose division of health service regulations oversees medical facilities.

“That’s what we would anticipate in situations like this — the H1N1 and the neonatal intensive care infants,” hospital spokesman Doug Allred said of the visit.

Investigators asked for policies and procedures, and about the care of the babies. They did not visit The Women’s Hospital or look at patient records, Allred said.

The respiratory therapist tested positive for the virus Thursday evening.

The therapist, who is at home recovering, likely became exposed after treating a patient in the Moses Cone emergency department and who later tested positive for the virus.

The therapist unknowingly exposed the babies to the virus when she was working in the neonatal intensive care unit at The Women’s Hospital.

Hospital officials said the infants remain free of flulike symptoms and are still on Tamiflu as a preventive measure.

The treatments began on Wednesday.

Allred said the hospital has given Tamiflu to more than 150 people who could have been exposed to the virus.

Three of the babies have been allowed to go home, hospital officials said in a short statement posted on the Moses Cone Web site.

Triad health officials are continuing to warn people to take heed if they start to feel like they are coming down with the flu.

Because flu symptoms are uncommon this time of year, Cone officials have said that people who feel like they have the flu likely have the H1N1 virus and should:

* Drink plenty of fluids.

* Treat their symptoms with over-the-counter medications.

* Avoid contact with others.

* Contact their personal physician if necessary.

Symptoms of swine flu include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.

Some people also have diarrhea and vomiting.

Guilford County has had six cases of H1N1, or swine flu, since the influenza virus was identified several months ago.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the number of confirmed and probable H1N1 cases, as of Friday, has risen from 18,000 cases last week to 21,449 this week.

Deaths have nearly doubled from 44 last week to 87 as of Friday.

Contact Nancy McLaughlin at 373-7049 or nancy.mclaughlin@news-record.com