Respiratory virus season is in full swing across the U.S., with flu, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus metrics all on the rise.
In a recent Becker's LinkedIn survey, 75% of respondents indicated some level of concern that this virus season will strain resources and capacity at their hospital or health system. A quarter of the respondents indicated they are not concerned at all. Fifteen percent said they were "very concerned," 32% said they were "moderately concerned," and 28% said they were "somewhat concerned." The poll was published Nov. 14 and 894 people responded, though Becker's has no insights on their organizations or roles.
Two hospital trends to know:
New admissions: New COVID-19 hospitalizations are ticking back up after mostly declining or remaining flat since early September. The latest CDC data shows there were 18,119 admissions for the week ending Nov. 18, up nearly 10% from the week before, marking the second consecutive week of increase. Flu hospitalizations are also rising, with 3,296 patients admitted to a hospital for the week ending Nov. 18, up 21% from the week prior.
Projections published earlier this fall estimate U.S. hospitalizations from the three viruses to peak at the end of January.
Emergency department visits: Emergency department visits for COVID-19, flu and RSV have all increased since the start of the month. There were nearly 94,000 combined visits for all three viruses for the week ending Nov. 18, CDC data shows. Of those, nearly 39,000 were diagnosed with COVID-19, 35,072 with flu and 19,683 with RSV. To prevent resource and capacity strain on hospital emergency departments, hospital and public health officials have urged patients to consult their primary care providers or an urgent care clinic for non-emergent situations.
RSV has hit children's hospitals especially hard. Amid the strain, some hospitals are expanding outpatient services. In Ohio, Dayton Children's Hospital is opening a new express location for children Nov. 28, the fifth such location in the region.