December 11, 2023 –The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced that with the holidays approaching, data indicate that the impact of respiratory viruses is being felt across the state with 44 counties now at an elevated level for COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to the CDC’s national COVID Data Tracker.
COVID-19 hospitalization data indicate that 39 counties are at medium level and five are at high level, while statewide, there were 1,039 new hospitalizations reported, an increase of 20% over the previous week. Macon County still remains at low level.
Data also show that broad acute respiratory hospitalizations are increasing across Illinois including COVID-19, flu and RSV. IDPH officials are especially concerned about pediatric ICU (PICU) capacity which is limited in many areas of the state.
Additionally, IDPH announced that it has launched a new, weekly Infectious Respiratory Disease Surveillance Dashboard that will be updated weekly on Fridays after 3 p.m. This report will provide the public with access to the latest data on hospital visits, seasonal trends, lab test positivity and demographic data.
“As we anticipated, we are seeing an increase in respiratory viruses – including COVID-19, flu and RSV – both in Illinois and across the nation,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “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. One of those strategies is our new Infectious Disease Surveillance Report, an easy to use, interactive dashboard that provides vital information to keep our residents safe.
“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,” Dr. Vohra continued. “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.”
Dr. Vohra also stressed that holiday hosts should enhance the safety of guests by providing proper indoor ventilation, encouraging good hand hygiene, and reminding guests to cover coughs and sneezes. 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 is also encouraging all healthcare settings to consider masking in patient care areas especially if caring for those with weakened immune systems as both RSV and COVID-19 are rising. Per CDC recommendations, universal masking should be considered facility-wide or, based on a facility risk assessment, targeted toward higher risk areas (e.g., emergency departments, urgent care) or patient populations (e.g., when caring for patients with moderate to severe immunocompromise) during periods of higher levels of community COVID-19 or other respiratory virus transmission.
