Hospital Sisters Health System and Memorial Health have seen striking increases in positive influenza tests.
Health officials said there is plenty of flu vaccine available, but they recommend getting tested because COVID -19 and a number of viral infections can have the same symptoms.
The local results mirror what is happening nationally. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 34,000 positive flu tests were reported from labs around the U.S. for the week ending Nov. 26, more than have been reported in any single week during any flu season on record, going back as far as 1997.
On Friday, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses are continuing to rise across the state following the Thanksgiving holiday, with 74 counties at an elevated level for COVID-19 by the Center for Disease Control.
“Illinois is experiencing a significant rise in communities at elevated risk levels for COVID-19, including 29 counties at a high risk,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “These elevated COVID-19 community levels, along with rising flu levels, are leading to a surge of respiratory infections and increased hospitalizations. I recommend all Illinoisians – and especially those most vulnerable including young children and individuals over 65 – take all preventative steps to protect themselves, their families and friends.”
Sangamon, Menard, Macoupin, Morgan, Montgomery, Logan, and Christian are among counties with high risk of COVID-19 transmissions, according to the CDC.
Dick Austin, former Sangamon County board chairman and top GSA administrator dies at 74
Memorial Health officials reported 950 positive influenza tests last week in its ambulatory clinics. Some of those facilities had to close early because of the crush of patients.
Memorial Health hospitals reported 104 patients hospitalized with flu, compared to four at this time last year. Those hospitals include Springfield, Taylorville, Lincoln, Jacksonville and Decatur.
HSHS System doesn’t typically release such numbers, said spokeswoman Jennifer Snopko.
The most prevalent strain of flu, said Dr. Anna Richie, clinical director of Memorial Health’s Urgent Care facilities, is “A” with patients reporting headaches, muscle aches, fever, cough and congestion among other symptoms.
“It’s not too late to vaccinate for COVID-19 or flu,” Richie said. “We still have a long winter ahead of us. We have several months of flu season. We know in the next several months, there will be times people will be in group settings, close together, in an enclosed area and most of the time people aren’t going to have their masks on.”
Typically, December is when the flu season kicks in, said Dr. Subhash Chaudhary, chairman of infection prevention at HSHS St. John’s Hospital in Springfield.
While many years the flu season peaks in January, it can fluctuate, Chaudhary said.
“Every year, a new vaccine becomes available in September, and we recommend (people six months or older) take the vaccine,” Chaudhary said. “That’s the most important thing a person can do to prevent this disease and its complications besides handwashing and wearing a mask if you have symptoms.”
The flu vaccine can be taken in conjunction with the COVID vaccines, Chaudhary added, but at this stage, health officials don’t have a vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which has been on the rise, especially among children.
Richie said even for a clinician who has been practicing for many years, it is difficult recognizing which respiratory virus a person might have.
“The testing is important to help us: oh, you’re positive for COVID, or, oh, you’re positive for flu or oh, you’re positive for strep because they can all mimic and look like each other,” she said.
In addition to scheduling flu vaccinations, Richie said, people should wash their hands regularly, avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth, wear a mask around large groups of people and stay home when feeling ill.
Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.
