A system-wide computer virus was to blame when Georgia's Gwinnett Medical Center had to switch to paperwork and therefore divert its emergency room (ER) and trauma patients to other hospitals last week. The virus caused patients to wait longer at registration and slowed down other departments, including pharmacy, radiology, and the lab. The hospital is now accepting patients, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Although the source of the outbreak is not clear, the most likely cause is a worm infection, in which malware can enter a network through a laptop or USB stick brought into the hospital by a staff member, TechWorld reports.