Nearly 7% of outpatient visits are for flu-like illnesses, which is an increase of 28.5% over the previous week, ODH said.
“We’re still at the height of the flu season at this point, and it’s still important for people to protect themselves,” said Dan Suffoletto, public information manager for Public Health - Dayton and Montgomery County.
People can protect themselves by getting the flu shot, Suffoletto said, and it’s not too late to get one.
“Remembering basic prevention measures such as staying home when you’re sick and washing your hands frequently will also help to reduce the spread,” Suffoletto said.
Local emergency rooms are also seeing an increase in respiratory illnesses,and not just the flu.
“We’ve seen every variety of respiratory illness,” said Dr. Nancy Pook, Kettering Health’s director of emergency medicine.
Those illnesses include the flu, which first started around Thanksgiving with their first case of influenza A, and then COVID inflections began picking up around the December holidays. Kettering Health’s hospitals have also seen cases of strep throat, pneumonia, and gastrointestinal viral illnesses, she said.
“It’s very high right now in terms of the infectious diseases that are out in the community,” Pook said.
West central Ohio has had a total of 166 flu-related hospitalizations this season, including 56 in this most recent week’s data, according to ODH. Southwest Ohio has had a total of 155 flu-related hospitalizations with 69 in the most recent week’s data.
“We have seen a significant increase in all respiratory illnesses across the Premier Health system in recent weeks. This has led to increased patient volumes across our hospitals and outpatient offices, but it has not limited our ability to deliver care,” said Dr. Roberto Colon, chief medical officer of Premier Health.
Montgomery County has had the most flu-related hospitalizations this season in the Dayton region at a total of 106, according to ODH. Butler County is the second highest with a total of 44.
There were seven hospitalized influenza cases reported last week in Clark County, according to the Clark County Combined Health District. Emergency department visits for flu-like symptoms are now above the five-year average in Clark County, the health district said, adding that Clark County has seen a total of 13 flu-related hospitalizations this season.
Montgomery County is still below its five-year average for emergency department visits for flu-like symptoms at this time of year. The five-year average is approximately 15.6% of emergency department visits being for flu-like symptoms for late December and early January, and Montgomery County is currently at 13.2%.
Local hospitals are handling this uptick by a number of protocols seen in the region, including full masking for individuals who have any symptoms at all, and there are limitations on visitors at this point, Pook said. Pook also encouraged more people to get the flu vaccine if they haven’t already.
Similarly at Premier Health, its hospitals are promoting vaccination and masks when needed.
“To better protect not just our patients but also our health care teams, we have advocated for the use of vaccinations, masks when appropriate, as well as the implementation of visitation limitations at the region’s hospitals,” Colon said.
People who are at high-risk of complications from illnesses like the flu or COVID should also seek out care right away if they are exposed, in order to get effective antiviral medication.
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