11 ICU admissions for flu in Illinois since September
(The Center Square) – The common flu isn’t so common this season as the COVID-19 pandemic continues on.
A major hospital system in central Illinois reports since October there have only been six influenza, or flu cases in their hospitals.
“Memorial Health System hospitals are seeing a dramatic decrease this year in the number of influenza cases, thanks in part to precautions being taken to slow the spread of COVID-19,” according to a statement from Memorial Medical Center.
The system has five hospitals in Springfield, Decatur, Jacksonville, Lincoln and Taylorville. The Memorial hospitals in Jacksonville, Lincoln, and Taylorville didn’t have any flu hospitalizations. Decatur’s had five admissions and Springfield’s had one admission.
Compared to last season during the same time, the hospitals collectively reported 99 influenza cases. They also collected 29 lab-confirmed cases of influenza compared to more than 2,000 the year before.
Statewide, the reported cases have plummeted compared to prior years.
The Illinois Department of Public Health’s website says despite influenza not being “a reportable disease in Illinois, IDPH examines reports from many health care sites throughout the state.”
Influenza related intensive care unit admissions peaked this time last year, according to IDPH data, at around 160, but then dropped throughout the year, barely registering in bi-weekly reports. From Sept. 27, 2020, to Feb. 6, 2021, IDPH reported 11 total ICU influenza admissions.
Flu-like illness is defined as a fever, cough and sore throat.
“It’s a dramatic difference,” Memorial Health System Director of Infection Prevention Gina Carnduff said in a statement. “The things that we are doing to prevent COVID-19 – wearing masks, practicing good hand hygiene and keeping social distance – also help to reduce our odds of contracting the flu.”
As for COVID-19 cases, IDPH reported 448 ICU admissions statewide as of Tuesday. IDPH also reported 22 cases of the B.1.1.7 COVID-19 variant.
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