Flu and COVID hospitalizations rising in metro Chicago
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Flu cases are increasing in Chicago and statewide.
Why it matters: Health care providers are grappling with a high flu rate as COVID-19 hospitalizations tick up and other seasonal respiratory viruses spread.
By the numbers: Chicago emergency room and outpatient visits for flu-like illness have spiked since October.
- Flu-related ICU visits in Chicago were twice as high this week, at more than 20, compared with this time last year.
- Daily COVID hospitalizations were up 17% the last week of December, compared with the previous week, per city data, but still lower than at the end of 2022.
The big picture: Positive flu tests, and flu-related deaths, are rising nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Meanwhile, flu vaccination rates in the U.S. are lower this season than in the previous two years.
Zoom in: Chicago's Department of Public Health relies on Cook County data for flu vaccination rates which are a little more than 20%, while 12% of Chicagoans have received the most recent COVID vaccine.
Of note: CDPH warns that flu can be dangerous, especially for the unvaccinated or individuals who are also infected with COVID.
Be smart: Vaccines continue to be the best defense against serious illness for both COVID-19 and the flu, and people can get both shots at the same time.
- CDPH hosts immunization clinics for both COVID-19 and flu vaccines across the city.
- You can also search CDC's website for pharmacies and outpatient clinics that have them available.