Flu, COVID-19, RSV fill Ohio hospitals, health officials say

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The three major viruses circulating this winter — influenza, COVID-19 and RSV — are putting a huge strain on Ohio’s hospitals, the state’s chief health official said Wednesday. rice field.

Ohio Department of Health Director Bruce Vanderhoff said in a media briefing that hospitals could see more patients after the holidays because germs spread and people get sick at gatherings. .

Influenza, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (also known as RSV) can cause serious illness, especially for people with health problems or who have not been vaccinated, he said. Vaccines against influenza and COVID-19 keep vaccinated people from hospitalization.

RSV is a common virus It causes respiratory tract infections and is spread through coughs, sneezes, and bacteria on surfaces. For most adults, RSV feels like a bad cold. However, in children under 2 years of age, severe her RSV can lead to pneumonia and hospitalization.

Dr. Joe Gastaldo, medical director of infectious diseases at OhioHealth, who attended the media briefing, said washing hands indoors and wearing a mask can help prevent the spread of these viruses.

“If you don’t feel well, if you have a respiratory virus, we don’t want you at work. You should be fully aware that we are spreading the virus to other individuals.” said Gastaldo.

RSV rate drops, but there is still risk

RSV is declining in Ohio and nationwide, according to Vanderhoff. The number of cases is still high, but has declined from the peak seen in mid-November.

“Nevertheless, it should be noted that RSV is not gone and still poses a risk,” said Vanderhoff.

RSV ravaged Greater Cleveland at the end of September, filling the area’s hospitals with sick children.

UH Rainbow and Children’s Hospital, e.g. The number of children infected with RSV has doubled in the emergency department in late October compared to the previous month.

Influenza vaccine effective this winter

Flu season started early and spread quickly, but flu-related hospitalizations have declined in Ohio and nationwide in recent years, Vanderhoff said.

However, flu season is expected to have peaks and troughs over the next few weeks. highly active influenza Cuyahoga County has had two flu-related deaths and more than 500 hospitalizations this season.

This year’s flu vaccine is effective against the most common strains of influenza circulating this season.

Vanderhoff said the number of Ohioans getting flu shots this season is on par with the pre-pandemic average, which is a good sign. Flu season may last until he March or April, so there is time to get her flu vaccine.

Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 down from past years

COVID-19 cases have increased in Ohio in recent weeks, but the COVID-19 vaccine is protective against the new subvariant.

“We just haven’t seen the peaks in cases and hospitalizations that we’ve seen with the emergence of other new dominant variants in the past,” said Vanderhoff.

Between 2,000 and 3,000 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 each week in Ohio in mid-December 2020 and 2021, Vanderhoff said. About 600 hospitalizations each week for COVID-19 this month, he said, an improvement of about 70% from December.

There are many situations in which people need to decide to wear masks indoors in public places. should follow the recommendations of

Cuyahoga County and most counties in northeastern Ohio remained yellow for the latest three consecutive weeks due to moderate spread of COVID-19. CDC map updated last Thursday.

Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geouga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage and Summit are among the yellow classified counties. Nearby Trumbull and Mahoning counties were designated red due to their high prevalence of COVID-19.

Health officials also discussed a snowstorm expected to hit the Cleveland area this weekend and a measles outbreak in central Ohio.

With the snow and cold weather forecast for the weekend, it’s important to have an emergency kit and a plan for what to do if power is lost. Remember to check on the elderly and relatives in your neighborhood this weekend, says Vanderhoff.

measles case It peaked in Ohio a few weeks ago and is now in decline. All cases are in unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated people located in and around Columbus, Vanderhoff said.

The first four cases were reported in early November.

“This just reinforces what I’ve said over and over again that basic childhood vaccinations are essential,” Vanderhoff said.

Julie Washington is cleveland.com. read Link to previous article. Also:

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