The Triangle is experiencing peak respiratory illness season, with hospitals seeing a significant increase in cases of COVID-19, RSV, and the flu. According to Dr. David Weber at UNC Health, “all three are up compared to a few weeks ago,” with influenza and RSV being more prominent than COVID.
Hospitals have reported an uptick in emergency room visits, which is concerning given the recent surge in patients due to flooding at Duke University Hospital. To address this, extra teams were called in, and additional units were opened.
“We’re on our way up, but dramatically increasing,” Dr. Weber said. “We usually don’t peak until late January or early February.” UNC Health expects to remain busy, with more North Carolinians getting sick with respiratory illnesses.
Duke Health has resumed accepting all EMS traffic, but UNC Health is still preparing for the influx of patients. As a healthcare system, they are committed to providing good patient care and supporting each other during this challenging time.
Source: https://abc11.com/post/triangle-hospitals-continuing-see-uptick-respiratory-illnesses/15738011