(The Center Square) – Illinois health officials are raising a red flag about a triple threat of respiratory illnesses this winter.
Across the state, there has been a seasonal uptick for the flu, COVID-19 and Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV. As a result, mask mandates are back at several Illinois hospitals.
Rush University medical system in Chicago said is requiring “patients, visitors and staff to wear hospital-approved masks in some areas of the campus.”
The most recent weekly data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed there were over 29,000 hospitalizations from COVID across the country before Christmas, up more than 16% from the previous week.
A total of 18 counties in Illinois are listed at high level for COVID-19 hospitalizations, compared to 14 counties in the week prior, and 43 are at a medium level in the latest week, compared to 50 counties in the week prior.
Dr. Artie Barnes, chief medical officer with the Illinois Department of Public Health, said COVID-19 is continually evolving.
“This time these multiple strains are just fighting against each other for dominance which is actually good news,” Barnes told The Center Square. “There is no one specific strain that is able to dominate.”
IDPH reports that flu activity is now surging to match the pre-COVID-19 2019-2020 season while RSV activity overall appears to have stabilized though a slight increase in RSV admissions in infants was noted this past week.
The agency launched a new awareness campaign last fall called ‘Tis the Sneezin’ to remind Illinoisans that vaccinations provide the best protection against the triple threat of COVID-19, flu and RSV.
Barnes said RSV shots are now available for those over 60 years of age.
“While RSV has always hit our youngest the hardest in terms of hospitalizations, it’s our older adults that have truly borne the brunt of both overall hospitalizations from RSV as well as deaths from RSV,” Barnes said.
The CDC now provides a national respiratory virus dashboard that allows the public to view weekly updates on the levels of COVID, flu and RSV.
