As the holiday season approaches, Illinois health officials are warning residents of a mounting number of respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, flu, and RSV. Hospitalizations for all three are on the rise, with 44 counties in the state at an elevated level for COVID-19 hospitalizations and 39 counties at a medium level.
In response to the surge, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has launched a new infectious respiratory surveillance dashboard. The dashboard will be updated every Friday and will provide public access to data on hospital visits, seasonal trends, lab test positivity, and demographic data.
IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra is urging residents to use the tools available to protect themselves and their families from the viruses. These tools include COVID-19 testing, enhanced ventilation, good hand hygiene, staying home and seeking treatment if sick, masking in crowded places, and getting the COVID-19, flu, and RSV vaccines for which they are eligible. He is particularly concerned about pediatric ICU capacity, which is already limited in some areas of the state.
The state is also urging health care settings to consider masking in patient care areas. The Illinois Department of Human Services’ State-Operated Developmental Centers has announced they will ramp up COVID testing and infection-prevention policies due to an outbreak in COVID cases among both residents and staff.
When it comes to holiday gatherings, Dr. Vohra is urging hosts to consider proper indoor ventilation and encourage good hand hygiene. He is also encouraging people to get tested and stay home if they are feeling symptoms of a respiratory virus, such as coughing, sneezing, sore throat, a runny nose, or fever.
The surge comes after officials warned of rising virus levels both before and after the Thanksgiving holiday. Dr. Brian Borah, medical director for vaccine-preventable diseases surveillance with the Chicago Department of Public Health, said RSV levels have been increasing for a few weeks, while flu more recently started to climb. He is concerned that as cases climb, it could once again strain area hospitals.
Health officials are urging people to get vaccinated for COVID and flu, and, if eligible, for RSV. Every household in the U.S. is eligible for free at-home tests at COVID.gov.
The IDPH is encouraging residents to take advantage of the tools available to protect themselves and their families from the viruses. With the right precautions, such as proper ventilation, hand hygiene, and vaccinations, we can all help to prevent the spread of these respiratory illnesses and keep our loved ones safe this holiday season.
