Health

Respiratory Illness Level ‘High’ in Illinois and Chicago Area, Driven by Increase in Flu Cases

The overall respiratory illness level is “high” in Illinois and the Chicago area, driven by an increase in emergency department visits and hospital admissions for the flu, according to the Chicago and Illinois departments of public health.

Statewide, there were about five times as many emergency department visits for flu as there were for COVID-19, according to Illinois Department of Public Health data during the week ending Jan. 25. The city saw similar numbers during that time period, according to a Chicago Department of Public Health respiratory illness dashboard.

“Flu continues to circulate widely across Illinois,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra in a news release this week.

People over 65, very young children, individuals with chronic disease and those who are immunocompromised are most at risk of severe illness from flu and other respiratory illnesses.

“If you do develop flu-like symptoms, contact your health care provider and seek treatment right away,” Vohra said in a news release. “Antiviral medication is most effective if initiated less than 48 hours after your symptoms begin.”

In Chicago, emergency department visits for flu went from “high” to “very high” in the week ending Jan. 25. The overall respiratory illness level in Chicago has been “high” since late December.

The respiratory activity levels, designed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, aim to help people understand the extent of respiratory illness activity in their area. The levels – minimal, low, moderate, high and very high – are determined based on data about diagnoses from emergency department visits for various respiratory illnesses.

Across the state this respiratory season, a total of 132 people have died from flu, 317 people have died from COVID-19, nine people have died from RSV and 1,329 people have died from pneumonia, according to IDPH provisional data through the week of Jan. 25.

Suburban Cook County saw its first pediatric flu death of the season in the week ending Jan. 25, according to a Tuesday news release from Cook County Department of Public Health.

Chicago has seen two pediatric flu deaths and one pediatric RSV death this respiratory season, according to the city’s public health department. The pediatric flu deaths in the city, reported in early January, were both in children under 2 years old.

In total, Illinois has seen five pediatric deaths from flu so far this respiratory season, according to IDPH data. The state has also experienced three pediatric deaths from RSV and one pediatric death from COVID-19.

Respiratory season generally runs from the beginning of October through the end of May the following year, according to IDPH’s website.

How to Get Vaccinated

Public health officials say it’s not too late to get vaccinated.

“Vaccines have a direct impact in reducing hospitalizations and fatalities from these viruses,” said Cook County Health CEO Dr. Erik Mikaitis in a Tuesday news release. “Getting vaccinated remains one of the most effective ways we can protect ourselves, our families, and our communities.”

In Chicago, nearly 25% of residents have received the flu vaccine and nearly 13% of residents have received the updated COVID-19 vaccine, according to CDPH data as of Jan. 25.

Vaccines are available through pharmacies, hospitals, community health clinics and local public health departments. For help finding a provider of vaccines near you, visit vaccines.gov.

Vaccines are also available for Illinoisans who are uninsured or underinsured, and for children eligible for the Vaccines for Children program, through IDPH’s vaccine locator dashboard.

Contact Eunice Alpasan: @eunicealpasan | 773-509-5362 | [email protected]

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