Respiratory virus activity on an ‘alarming rise’ in Illinois. What to know in metro-east

Illinois state health officials are urging hospitals to “step up” efforts to mitigate respiratory virus spread as the nation sees increases in emergency department visits due to COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza.

When you look at the rate of U.S. emergency department visits due to the three respiratory viruses, “the line is precipitously rising,” Dr. Vidhya Prakash, chief medical officer and associate dean of clinical affairs and population health at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, told the News-Democrat in a Friday phone interview.

“So the bottom line is, nationally we’re seeing each of those respiratory viruses rise,” Prakash added.

Half of Illinois’ 102 counties are facing medium to high COVID-19 hospitalization rates, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports, including 41 counties at a medium level and 10 at a high level.

Macoupin, Montgomery, Marion, Washington, Perry, Jackson and other counties in southern Illinois and across the state are at medium hospitalization levels, while Christian, Sangamon, Logan, Menard counties and others are among those at a high level.

BJC Healthcare officials are now requiring employees to mask when interacting directly with patients in their St. Louis region hospitals, St. Louis Public Radio reported.

The Illinois Department of Public Health said in a Dec. 14 press release the statewide COVID-19 hospitalization rate is up 22% for the week ending Dec. 2 from the previous week.

“RSV is causing a heavy burden of pediatric hospitalizations and the percent of lab tests that are positive for RSV have been rising for 10 consecutive weeks,” the release stated.

While COVID-19 is causing most of the respiratory virus-related admissions, RSV and flu admissions are “rising steadily,” according to the state health department.

“With the alarming rise in respiratory viruses we are seeing across the state and the country, IDPH is recommending healthcare facilities take precautions to reduce the spread of these viruses and protect their patients, staffs and visitors,” Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in the release. “We are most concerned with healthcare facilities in counties with elevated respiratory virus transmission and hospitalization levels and recommend masking in patient care areas, especially in emergency departments and areas caring for patients who are immunocompromised.”

Illinois Department of Public Health guidance also advises health care facilities to implement mask mandates, screen staff and visitors, and encourage testing before visits and good hand-washing.

The state is experiencing “moderate” respiratory activity, CDC data shows. St. Clair County’s COVID-19 hospitalization rate is down 41.4% as of Dec. 9 from the previous week, while Washington County saw a 100% increase. Overall, Prakash said as of Friday Illinois had slightly lower respiratory virus rates compared to this time last year.

You can find data about respiratory viruses in Illinois online at a new dashboard that’s updated each Friday or on the CDC’s website.

How to protect against respiratory illnesses

As some Illinois residents plan for winter holiday gatherings, Prakash said it’s important to stay home if you are sick and seek testing for COVID-19 and influenza.

If you test positive for the flu or COVID-19, Prakash said you should check with your doctor to see if you’re eligible for treatments such as Tamiflu or Paxlovid.

Hand-washing is also an important mitigation strategy, Prakash added, as is improving ventilation in your home. But the single most important thing you can do is get vaccinated.

“We finally have, for the first time ever this respiratory viral season, vaccines against all of the three big key players: COVID-19, influenza and RSV,” Prakash said. “So we have that resource at our fingertips, which is why I would strongly recommend everybody get vaccinated.”

Illinois hospitals were slammed with serious RSV intakes last year, particularly among young children and people older than 65.

“Last year, we had an RSV explosion. This year, now that we have vaccine administration and we have medications for newborns for RSV, if we have a strong uptick for both of those, my sincere hope is that we can keep the number of hospitalizations down,” Prakash said.

You can make appointments with the St. Clair County Public Health Department or retail offerings like CVS and Walgreens for COVID-19 and flu vaccinations. People seeking RSV vaccines should contact their doctor about eligibility and availability.

“My strongest piece of advice is get vaccinated. We need to increase our rates of vaccination to protect ourselves, to protect our children and to protect each other,” Prakash said.