If you’ve been dealing with an illness for the last few weeks, you’re far from alone. Respiratory illness rates are high, some schools have closed, and some local hospitals have been placed on diversion status to handle the influx of patients.
Fairfield Township Professional Firefighters Local 5276 announced on Facebook Tuesday night that multiple area hospitals are currently in diversion status.
Due to the volume of patients, Fairfield said hospitals are requesting that EMS only bring patients in life-threatening situations to their facility.
According to the department, this will result in significant wait times for non-critical or non-urgent patients.
If you have a medical emergency, you should still call 911, and Fairfield firefighters say hospitals are trained to triage the appropriate patients.
“Patients can expect longer wait times for non-emergent issues,” Tiffany Mattingly, of the Health Collaborative, told WCPO Wednesday. “If you aren’t feeling well and all you want to know is if you have the flu, confirm it. You can purchase flu tests over the counter. You can get an over-the-counter flu test, fever-reducing medication, fluids, and rest.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), influenza cases are currently on the rise across the country, with Ohio ranking as “very high”. Diagnosis of influenza leads to “very high” emergency department visits. Indiana was rated “high” for flu, while Kentucky was only rated moderate.
According to the Ohio Department of Health’s website, the southwest region of Ohio had 65 influenza hospitalizations in the week ending January 25. Central Ohio had the highest number of flu-related hospitalizations, with 154 that week.
Ohio Department of Health
According to data from the Ohio Department of Health’s website, flu-related hospitalizations are increasing when compared to the state’s five-year average.
Influenza isn’t the only illness plaguing Tri-State households; we asked viewers on WCPO’s Facebook page what illnesses they’re dealing with.
Many people responded that they were suffering from influenza A. Others reported having COVID-19, RSV, Norovirus, and pneumonia, among other unknown ailments.
In recent weeks, some school districts have closed due to illness.
Edgewood Schools in Butler County will be closed for the rest of the week due to illness among staff and students. Middletown Christian Schools also closed last week due to illness. Newport Independent has canceled in-person classes for two days due to an increase in flu and stomach virus cases. Calvary Christian School in Covington was also forced to close due to illnesses. Adams County Ohio Valley School District was also closed Monday due to illnesses.
Schools close, some hospitals on diversion as flu and more impact Cincinnati area
According to the CDC’s website, the number of acute respiratory illnesses requiring medical attention is high in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. Respiratory illnesses range from the common cold to severe infections such as RSV, COVID-19, and flu.
We contacted Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Tri-Health, and UC Health, all of whom stated that they are not currently experiencing capacity issues, but that this could change at any time.
Cincinnati Children’s has left the following tips for navigating this sick-filled time:
- Expect long waits at Cincinnati Children’s Emergency Departments at the main Burnet Campus in Avondale and the Liberty Campus in Butler County – unless your child has a critical or life-threatening issue.
- If you just want a flu test, contact your primary care provider.
- If one person in your home has tested positive for flu, assume anyone else there who gets sick also has the flu. They don’t need to be tested.
- If you suspect your child has the flu but they are breathing well, have been drinking enough water and are urinating as normal, they don’t need emergency care.
- Check with your child’s primary care provider for advice. Virtual urgent care is an option if you don’t have a primary care provider or one isn’t available.
- Consider using Cincinnati Children’s virtual urgent care service, which is an on-demand video visit available 24/7 from the comfort of your home. No appointment needed; wait times tend to be much shorter: https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/locations/cincykids-health-connect [ cincinnatichildrens.org ] (Or access virtual urgent care by downloading CincyKids Health Connect from Apple Store or Google Play)
- Get your child vaccinated against flu now. It is safe and effective.
- Don’t send kids to school or daycare when they are sick.
Children’s said to seek medical care for your child if they have:
- Trouble breathing
- Trouble keeping down liquids
- Vomiting and you have concerns about dehydration
- Or they are not responding normally to you
Health officials also told WCPO that it is critical to take precautions to protect the elderly, who are particularly vulnerable to respiratory illnesses.
“If they’re not ingesting or tolerating fluids; there’s a severe risk of dehydration in the elderly,” according to Mattingly. “So that one can quickly cause confusion and fatigue in an elderly patient. So there are a few things to consider. And, of course, if they are having difficulty breathing, if their lips, fingers, or face are turning blue, you may hear audible wheezing. “There are some respiratory concerns.”
Tri-Health issued the following statement about the rise in illnesses:
Hospital visits are typically higher this time of year due to respiratory illnesses such as the flu. No patients are turned away at Tri-Health hospitals. Before visiting an emergency department, patients should consider their symptoms; primary care physician offices.
TriHealth Clinic at Walgreens locations, and priority care centers are all equipped to treat mild and moderate illnesses and may have shorter wait times than emergency rooms.
St. Elizabeth’s Hospital stated that they are not on diversion, and that while a high demand for emergency care is “not unusual at this time of year,” the hospital added that “an unusually active flu and RSV season is a big factor” in the demand.
The statement went on to say:
“We encourage people who are feeling ill to reach out to their primary care provider or call the St. Elizabeth Physician’s Nurse Now phone triage line at 1-888-478-3669 for advice on the best care option for their condition. Patients may also access walk-in care at one of St. Elizabeth Physician’s four urgent care centers for more acute illnesses. Unless their situation is truly emergent, people should avoid the emergency room and allow those emergent cases to get triaged appropriately.”
