Respiratory illness cases have spiked in Illinois in recent weeks, with flu outbreaks seeing hundreds of people visiting emergency rooms in Will County since Christmas.

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported that hospital admissions doubled in the week of Dec. 21-27, with just less than 20% of admissions being related to acute respiratory infections, and flu numbers in the state being elevated to a rating of “very high.”

Locally, Will County also has seen a dramatic increase in flu cases with the Will County Health Department reporting that “flu activity spiked during the last three weeks in December.”

Health Department Communications Program Manager Kevin Juday, reported that flu numbers began to trend upwards in Will County on Dec. 6 when emergency departments began to see more than 10 cases a day.

“Ten days later, there were between 40 and 60 cases in emergency departments, and cases spiked around Christmas with 100 plus emergency department visits related to the flu,” he said.

Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, confirmed these statistics, noting that from Dec. 21 to Jan. 4 its two emergency rooms saw 250 flu-related emergency room visits, with 85 patients admitted.

Combined with RSV, COVID-19, and other respiratory illnesses, more than 500 patients were seen at Silver Cross with respiratory infections in the past two weeks, of which more than 100 were admitted.

While Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet did not have specific numbers of cases available, Prime Healthcare’s Regional Director of Public Relations Mike Deering reported that the number of patients admitted to the facility for flu had doubled from November to December.

Deering also noted that flu season will continue in Illinois for several months “so there’s still time to get vaccinated.”

Vaccination rates

The Will County Health Department reported that about 159,000 residents have received flu vaccines since September, representing about 22.7% of the county population. This puts Will County slightly above the state average for flu vaccination of 21.9%.

While numbers for flu vaccination countywide in the same period were not readily available for 2024, vaccinations administered through the health department are down about 13.5% over the same period last year.

While Juday reported that the numbers have trended down slightly in the last week with ER visits averaging between 20 and 40 a day, there still is a risk of spreading illness as many people return to work and school after the holidays.

The group with the highest flu hospitalization rate in Illinois is children, followed by seniors older than 65.

Limiting the spread

With children going back to school following the winter break, parents are urged to take precautions with potentially ill students.

“We always encourage our families to keep their children home from school if they are sick, especially if they have a fever or flu symptoms. This policy pertains to our employees as well,” Joliet Public Schools District 86 Director for Communications and Development Sandy Zalewski said.

“At our schools, we encourage our students to keep hydrated, wash their hands with soap and warm water after using the bathroom and before eating, and to never share water bottles or food with classmates,” she said.

District 86 teachers and students returned to schools on Tuesday.

Students aren’t the only ones encouraged to take precautions to prevent respiratory illnesses.

State health officials released recommendations for reducing the risk or contracting or spreading flu, COVID-19, and RSV including receiving eligible vaccines and frequently washing hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

The state department of public health also urges residents to stay home if they are ill or to wear a mask when going out in public while sick, and to avoid contact with sick people.

“Vaccinations remain the most effective tool to prevent severe illness from flu, COVID-19, and RSV,” IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vorha said in a statement. “Simple steps like covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands regularly, staying home when sick if you are able, and improving ventilation are also critical to preventing further spread.”

If you get sick

While most people can recover at home, Silver Cross recommends seeking medical care if a patient has trouble breathing or experiences high fever, chest pains or if symptoms continue to worsen instead of improving over time.

In the case of serious illness, antiviral treatments can be used to minimize symptomize and speed up recovery, although they should be given within 48 hours of feeling sick with the flu and within five to seven days of COVID symptoms appearing.

Seniors, young children, pregnant people, individuals with long-term health issues and caretakers for high risk individuals should seek medical attention early if they become sick to ensure prompt treatment, health officials said.