Flu, RSV Cases Spike As Respiratory Virus Season In Chicago Hits ‘Full Swing’ – Block Club Chicago
Block Club Chicago
Your Neighborhood News Site CHICAGO — The weather turned cold and flu season has arrived.Chicago has seen a spike in respiratory illness cases over the past month, according to data kept by the Chicago Department of Public Health. Among Chicagoans tested for flu-like symptoms, 18.3 percent were positive for influenza, 14.1 percent for respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, and 4.9 percent for COVID-19, according to the data as of Friday.“Flu and RSV are both significantly elevated in Chicago right now, and COVID levels are increasing as well,” city health department spokesperson Jacob Martin said in a statement. “Respiratory virus season is in full swing.” Local hospitals have elevated masking requirements for the seasonal spike in cases. As of Dec. 23, University of Chicago Medicine is requiring all staff to wear masks in patient areas, according to an internal memo. OSF Healthcare, which includes Little Company of Mary Medical Center, 2800 W. 95th St. in Evergreen Park, is temporarily limiting hospital and hospice visitors to two adults per patient at a time, “with exceptions for special circumstances,” spokesperson Colleen Reynolds said in a statement.Michael Lin, an infectious disease physician and professor at Rush Medical Center, said the “deep upslope” in cases is typical for this time of year. “Respiratory viruses tend to spike in the winter months, primarily when people are gathering indoors, spending more time together and possibly spreading viruses,” Lin said.Vaccines to protect people through the winter season are rolled out in the fall, but it’s not too late to get a flu shot or an updated COVID-19 booster if you haven’t already, Lin said.RSV vaccines are recommended for adults 75 years and older and those 60-74 years old with increased risk, according to the CDC. For infants — who face greater risk of severe RSV — there is a maternal vaccine given during pregnancy or an RSV antibody given to infants after birth.The golden rule: If you feel sick, stay home, Lin said.“Going to events a little bit ill can cause a lot of spread,” Lin said. “If your child is sick, keep them away from other children. Do what’s practical.” Lin recommends masking in crowded areas for people with underlying conditions that could make respiratory illnesses more severe. For others, masking is “really a personal preference after that,” Lin said. At-home testing kits for respiratory illnesses are increasingly available, Lin said. While COVID-19 is not as common as the flu and RSV at the moment, it’s unclear when those cases may spike, too, Lin said.“It’s becoming one of the common respiratory viruses, but it hasn’t settled into a pattern seasonally yet. It’s harder to predict when it’s going to strike,” said Lin, who noted there was a surge in COVID-19 last summer. “It’s not behaving yet like a classic respiratory virus.”Much is still unknown about the long-term effects of COVID-19, Lin said.Peak season for respiratory illnesses usually falls off by late April or early May, Lin said.Support Local News!Subscribe to Block Club Chicago, an independent, 501(c)(3), journalist-run newsroom. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods. Already subscribe? Click here to gift a subscription, or you can support Block Club with a tax-deductible donation.Listen to the Block Club Chicago podcast:
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