Feeling ill? Health officials warn of rise in illnesses in Illinois. What to look for

In the midst of all the holiday gatherings, health officials in Illinois are warning of an uptick in a number of illnesses spreading currently.

The Illinois Department of Public Health warned this week that the state's "overall respiratory illness level has moved up from low to moderate."

“As expected, Illinois is experiencing an increase in seasonal respiratory illnesses as winter arrives,” IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in a statement. “As we gather with our loved ones during the holiday season, please use all the tools at your disposal to protect friends and family who are most vulnerable to severe outcomes. This includes those who are over 65, very young children and people who are immunosuppressed."

The uptick in Illinois follows a surge in flu cases across much of the country.

Here's what to know:

What is happening in Illinois?

According to the department, hospital admissions for COVID-19, flu and RSV were all on the rise, citing data from the week that ended on Dec. 14.

The percentage of emergency room visits for respiratory illnesses increased from 13.8% to 14.7% in a one-week period, along with a rise in ICU admissions for RSV, which officials said was largely driven by children between the ages of 0 and 4 years old.

The rise comes as whooping cough cases also reach concerning levels, both in the state and across the country.

As of mid-September, about 14,500 cases had been recorded nationwide since the beginning of the year. That number climbed to more than 32,000 as of Dec. 14, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That's a six-fold increase from the same time in 2023, when more than 5,100 cases had been recorded. The total for 2022 was even lower, at roughly 3,000 cases.

What can you do before gathering?

While Christmas Day has come and gone, many are still expected to gather for delayed celebrations and as they ring in the New Year.

Vohra encouraged hosts of holiday gatherings to:

• provide proper indoor ventilation
• encourage good hand hygiene
• remind guests to cover coughs and sneezes

What symptoms should you watch for?

Anyone with respiratory symptoms – such as coughing, a runny nose, or fever – should try to self-isolate, if able, unless they need medical care, IDPH said. If you cannot self-isolate, you should wear a well-fitting mask around others.

Here are some of the symptoms for the common respiratory viruses circulating:

COVID

As of now, the symptoms for COVID remain the same:

• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny nose
• Sneezing
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Muscle aches
• Altered sense of smell
• Congestion
• Fever or chills
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

RSV

People infected with RSV usually exhibit symptoms within 4 to 6 days after getting infected, according to the CDC. The most common symptoms are:

• Runny nose
• Congestion
• Decrease in appetite
• Coughing
• Sneezing
• Fever

Symptoms typically appear in stages and not all at once. The signs might be apparent in adults - but less noticeable in young infants.

Other symptoms of severe cases include the following, according to the Mayo Clinic.

• Wheezing — a high-pitched noise that's usually heard on breathing out (exhaling)
• Rapid breathing or difficulty breathing — the person may prefer to sit up rather than lie down
• Bluish color of the skin due to lack of oxygen

Flu

According to the CDC, flu symptoms usually come on suddenly. Main symptoms include:

• fever or feeling feverish/chills (It's important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever)
• cough
• sore throat
• runny or stuffy nose
• muscle or body aches
• headaches
• fatigue (tiredness)
• some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.

What to do if you're sick or exposed to someone who was

If you do become sick, you can reduce transmission of illnesses by staying away from others as much as possible.

For those who contract an illness, there are effective anti-viral treatments available for COVID-19 and the flu, but they must be started quickly.

Even with holiday gatherings underway, public health officials note that it’s not too late to get vaccinated. While it takes about two weeks for vaccinations to provide their full level of protection, getting shots now will offer protection through the cold and flu season that lasts into the spring.