Illinois health officials offer tips for avoiding COVID-19, flu as cases rise – NBC Chicago

With holiday gatherings in the rearview mirror and cold weather staying here a little longer, many Illinois residents are finding themselves sick with respiratory illnesses as cases rise across the state.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, emergency room visits for acute respiratory illness, COVID-19 and flu have increased in recent weeks, with emergency room visits for flu more than doubling from 3% to 6%, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. 2% during the week. From December 21 to December 28, 2024.

Additionally, state health officials reported four pediatric deaths attributed to RSV, COVID-19 and influenza, as officials encouraged vaccination of children to protect them from serious illness.

“It is now more important than ever to use the many tools at our disposal to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe. The most effective tool remains vaccination against influenza, COVID-19 and RSV. It’s not too late to get vaccinated, as the seasonal respiratory season can extend into the spring,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra.

In addition to getting vaccinated, Illinois health officials recommend the following steps and tools people can take to protect themselves against respiratory viruses:

• Improved ventilation
• Good hand hygiene
• Wear a well-fitted mask

“These tools can be helpful to all of our Illinois residents, but are especially important for those most at risk, including people over 65, people with chronic illnesses, and people who are immunocompromised,” said Vohra.

The updated COVID-19 and flu vaccines have been approved for anyone older than 6 months, while the RSV vaccine is recommended for anyone 75 or older, as well as those between 60 and 74 years old who are at risk of serious illness. sick.

As cold and flu season lasts until spring and vaccines take two weeks to provide full protection, health officials advise those who are not vaccinated to get vaccinated to protect themselves for the rest of the season.

Illinois health officials also provided updated information on vaccinations and testing and treatments for respiratory viruses.