Illinois health officials warned Friday that a number of respiratory viruses are "mounting" in the state, with hospitalizations for COVID, flu and RSV all rising this holiday season.
The Illinois health department said 44 counties in Illinois were at an elevated level for COVID-19 hospitalizations. In total, 39 counties were at a medium level and five are under the "high" alert as the state saw a 20% increase in hospitalizations within the last week, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Meanwhile, data also showed that "broad acute respiratory hospitalizations" were increasing for COVID, flu and RSV, and officials said they were particularly concerned about pediatric ICU capacity, which is already limited in some areas of the state.
“As we anticipated, we are seeing an increase in respiratory viruses – including COVID-19, flu and RSV - both in Illinois and across the nation,” IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in a statement. “IDPH is closely working with our health partners to educate the public, monitor our hospital capacity, and develop effective mitigation strategies as we experience this surge."
In response to the surge, IDPH launched a new, infectious respiratory surveillance dashboard, set to be updated every Friday to offer public access to data on hospital visits, seasonal trends, lab test positivity and demographic data, according to the department. The new site is expected to launch at 3 p.m. Friday here.
“During this critical period with hospitalizations rising, I encourage all of our residents to use the tools available to keep yourself and your families healthy and protected,” Vohra said. “These tools include COVID-19 testing (especially if visiting someone at risk for severe disease); 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 you or your loved ones are eligible. These tools are especially critical for those most at-risk for severe disease including those who are over 65, immunocompromised, or have chronic medical conditions. And parents and caregivers: please also protect those young children given the limited pediatric ICU capacity in many areas of the state.”
The state is now urging health care settings to once again consider masking "in patient care areas."
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The Illinois Department of Human Services' State-Operated Developmental Centers also announced they will ramp of COVID testing and "infection-prevention policies" as a result of an outbreak in COVID cases among both residents and staff.
"IDPH has been working closely with our counterparts at IDHS facilities to monitor conditions, to offer strategies to contain any outbreaks, and to provide resources, direct consultations and assessments,” Dr. Hillary Spencer, leader of the IDPH Infection Prevention Team, said in a statement.
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When it comes to holiday gatherings, Vohra urged hosts to consider "proper indoor ventilation" and encourage good hand hygiene.
"If someone is feeling symptoms of a respiratory virus – such as coughing, sneezing, sore throat, a runny nose or fever - it’s best to get tested and stay home so as not to spread illness," IDPH said in a release.
The surge comes after officials warned of rising virus levels both before and after the Thanksgiving holiday.
"What we're seeing now, you know, is not necessarily unexpected, as the weather has been getting colder as people have been gathering with their family members and loved ones for Thanksgiving," Dr. Brian Borah, medical director for vaccine-preventable diseases surveillance with the Chicago Department of Public Health, told NBC Chicago this week. "And now in anticipation of the winter holidays, you know, we have seen the start of an increase again."
In Chicago, Borah said RSV levels have been increasing for a few weeks, while flu more recently started to climb.
While hospitalization levels in Cook County have not yet reached concerning numbers, Borah said there is fear that as cases climb, it could once again strain area hospitals.
"CDC is predicting that this year will have similar hospitalization numbers for all respiratory viruses that we saw last year. We're hoping to have a even a better season, you know, we're always hoping for a better season," he said. "But last year, as you know, we had peaks of the three major respiratory diseases around very similar times and because all those peaks coincided, there was quite a bit of strain placed on our hospital systems, in terms of, you know, person power. There was a difficulty in finding beds for for patients to some degree."
Health officials continued to urge people to get vaccinated for COVID and flu, and, if eligible, for RSV.
When it comes to testing for the holidays, every household in the U.S. is eligible for free at-home tests at COVID.gov.
For guidelines on when to test and how often, click here.
