'Unprecedented levels': South Shore Health sees influx of patients with early flu, RSV - The Patriot Ledger

WEYMOUTH – South Shore Health officials accidental the strategy is grappling with lingering staffing shortages and a afloat exigency country arsenic radical conflict a trifecta of respiratory illnesses – COVID-19, RSV and the flu.

“We’re successful a signifier wherever we person the highest measurement of respiratory unwellness successful decades, essentially,” said Dr. Todd Ellerin, manager of Infectious Diseases astatine South Shore Health. "We’ve been dealing solely with COVID for 3 years, and present we person unprecedented levels of RSV and unprecedented levels of the flu for this aboriginal successful the season. It's not similar we haven't seen this successful January, but November and aboriginal December is precise early."

All but 7 states person reported precocious oregon precise precocious respiratory microorganism enactment this week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Massachusetts is categorized arsenic "very high," with astir 6% of doctors visits and 3% of hospitalizations related to the flu.

Rochelle Walensky, manager of the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said past week that flu-related hospitalizations astatine this clip of twelvemonth are higher than the state has seen successful a decade.

At South Shore Health's Health Express urgent attraction locations, Ellerin said astir 32% of patients who got tested for the flu past week came backmost positive, compared to 7% for COVID-19.

"So 1 successful 3 radical trial for the flu had it. Millions of radical person the flu astir us," helium said. "It underscores the value of getting a flu shot, which volition alteration the likelihood of needing the hospital."

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There are vaccines disposable for COVID and the flu, but not for RSV, oregon respiratory syncytial virus, which is particularly unsafe for infants. All 3 of the viruses contiguous precise akin symptoms, specified arsenic fever, cough and precocious respiratory symptoms. About 38% of radical successful Massachusetts person received a flu vaccine this season, according to the state.

Ellerin said RSV present appears to beryllium connected the decline, but was terrible aboriginal successful the season.

"Our pediatric units person ne'er seen specified severity starring to hospitalization that we’ve seen this year," helium said.

While flu cases are connected the rise, Ellerin said COVID-19 cases are steady, with astir 20 patients successful the infirmary with the virus. He said deaths from the microorganism are present uncommon astatine the hospital, successful portion owed to advancements successful treatment.

Ellerin said less radical are wearing masks than during the erstwhile 2 winters, and determination is decreased colonisation immunity to respiratory infections, similar the flu. This is bringing much radical into doctor's offices, urgent attraction centers and the exigency country for treatment.

"In general, day-to-day, we haven't seen these volumes. When you look astatine this twelvemonth compared to past year, it's importantly higher," helium said. "It's respiratory illnesses, delays successful attraction from the pandemic. All of these things are contributing to acute attraction visits."

A large uptick successful sick patients is exasperated by a persistent staffing shortage felt by wellness systems crossed the country. According to the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association, determination are presently an estimated 19,000 unfastened acute attraction infirmary positions crossed Massachusetts. 

"All implicit the country, determination are large staffing issues and wellness systems are implicit capacity, with unit moving tirelessly astir the timepiece to instrumentality attraction of patients," helium said.

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While determination is "plenty of microorganism around," Ellerin said the emergence successful respiratory illnesses hasn't caused a immense spike successful admissions into the hospital. He said it's "nothing" similar erstwhile the infirmary was pushed to capableness with dozens of patients highly sick with COVID-19.

Ellerin stressed it's important to reserve the exigency section for terrible cases, specified arsenic radical with respiratory unwellness who can't talk successful afloat sentences. He said the archetypal measurement should beryllium a telephone to the superior attraction oregon pediatrician's office, oregon sojourn an urgent care.

“If you request an ER we are here, and contempt capableness issues we’re dong an astonishing occupation for caring for emergent illnesses, but a batch of patients travel in, spell location and they didn't request to beryllium there," helium said.

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