Illinois reports increase of hospital admissions for respiratory illnesses

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported Monday the state’s overall respiratory illness level has moved up from low to moderate, meaning that Illinoisans face an increased chance of exposure to seasonal illnesses as families are gathering to celebrate the holidays.

IDPH’s Seasonal Respiratory Illness Dashboard indicates that hospital admissions for COVID-19, flu and RSV all ticked up (as a percent of all hospital admissions) in the week ending Dec. 14, according to a news release from the department.

The percentage of emergency department visits due to respiratory illness also increased from 13.8% in the previous week to 14.7%. The state also is continuing to see a rise in ICU admissions due to RSV, driven by children 0-4 years old, according to the release.

“As expected, Illinois is experiencing an increase in seasonal respiratory illnesses as winter arrives,” IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in the release. “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,” he said.

Residents are urged to get vaccinated for COVID-19, flu and RSV.

For those who are unvaccinated, public health officials note that it’s not too late to get vaccinated. It takes about two weeks for vaccinations to provide their full level of protection, according to the IDPH release.

The Federal Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have approved new vaccines for COVID-19 and flu as well as updated who can receive the RSV vaccines.

The new COVID-19 vaccines and the new flu shots are recommended for everyone older than 6 months.

The RSV vaccine is recommended for everyone 75 years and older, but those who received an RSV shot last winter do not need another at this time, according to the CDC.

Those in the late stages of pregnancy are advised to get the RSV vaccine designed to protect newborns. Newborns whose mothers have not received the RSV vaccine should receive nirsevimab between October and March, according to the IDPH release.

For help finding a provider of vaccines near you, go to www.vaccines.gov. Vaccine information also is available for those who are uninsured or underinsured, and for children eligible for the Vaccines for Children program, through IDPH’s Vaccine Locator Dashboard. Adults without insurance can also check with their local health department for options or contact a free and charitable clinic or a Community Health Center.

Treatments available

State health officials also remind the public that there are effective anti-viral treatments available for COVID-19 and the flu, but they must be started quickly. This is why it is important to get tested if you are feeling symptoms.

For COVID-19, treatment must be prescribed by a healthcare provider and started within five to seven days after symptoms appear, according to the release. Treatment is strongly recommended for those who are older than 65 or at higher risk for severe illness. Some Illinoisans should be eligible to access free oral antivirals through the Paxcess and Merck Helps programs, according to the release.

Antiviral treatments for flu are most effective when given within 48 hours of starting to feel ill and are only available by prescription, according to the IDPH release. Older adults, young children, and those who are pregnant or have conditions like diabetes, asthma and heart disease are at risk for complications and should contact a health care provider to be assessed for the need for treatment as soon as possible, the IDPH advised

Find locations that perform COVID-19 tests in person at no cost by using the testing locator for the federal ICATT (Increasing Community Access to Testing) program.

In addition, the federal government resumed offering free COVID-19 tests to every household through the covidtests.gov website.