Illinois
‘Very high’ levels of flu cases reported in Illinois amid ‘significant winter surge’
What to Know
- -Children between the ages of 5-17 are seeing the highest impact in the surge in cases in Illinois
- -COVID cases are also on the rise, with “moderate” levels reported by the CDC
- -Illinois health officials say just 22% of the state’s residents have received flu immunizations, while 6.8% have received COVID vaccine boosters
Hospital admissions and positive tests for influenza are soaring in Illinois, prompting warnings and concerns from health officials.
According to an update Monday from the Illinois Department of Public Health, flu activity in the state has climbed to “very high” levels in recent days, the most severe of five categories of respiratory illness activity used by the CDC.
Data available via the IDPH’s Seasonal Respiratory Illness Dashboard shows that more than 19% of emergency room visits in Illinois during the last reporting period were due to acute respiratory illness, with more than 18% of hospital admissions attributed to those illnesses.
Acute respiratory illnesses include the flu as well as COVID-19 and RSV, according to officials.
COVID-19 rates are also on the rise, increasing to “moderate” levels in the state according to the CDC.
The CDC uses wastewater monitoring to help detect viruses infecting people in a community, according to its website.
The bulk of hospital admissions and ER visits associated with respiratory illnesses were made because of flu symptoms, according to officials.
Health officials in Illinois are warning of a new and unexpected mutation that could make for a “more serious flu season.” Natalie Martinez has more.
Data shows that the spike in illnesses is having a serious impact on those residents under the age of 18. Children between the ages of 5 and 17 are most impacted by hospital admissions related to acute respiratory illnesses and the flu, while residents over the age of 65 are most impacted by COVID-19.
In the press release, Illinois also reported its first influenza death in a child this season.
“Illinois is facing a significant winter surge in seasonal respiratory illnesses with flu activity at very high levels,” Dr. Sameer Vohra, IDPH director, said. “Vaccinations remain the most effective tool to prevent severe illness from flu, COVID-19 and RSV.”
That push for vaccinations comes as approximately 22% of state residents have received flu shots, according to Illinois health officials. Even though flu season peaks in January and February, officials caution that it can last into May, making vaccination a smart strategy in containing spread of the illness.
In addition to vaccines, washing hands frequently is critical to preventing spread of the illness, as is covering coughs and sneezes, and wearing a mask when ill.
Antiviral treatments can also minimize symptoms and speed up recovery, but must be sought in the early stages of the illness to be effective, officials warn.
More information can be found on IDPH’s website.
CENTRALIA, Ill. – An investigation is underway after multiple people were shot Sunday in Centralia, Illinois, according to a report from WFCN News in southern Illinois.
FOX 2 has confirmed the Illinois State Police is investigating a shooting and taking over the investigation, but ISP could not confirm many further details as of 9 p.m. Sunday.
“The investigation is in its infancy and to protect the integrity of the investigation, no additional details will be released at this time,” ISP said in a statement to FOX 2.
According to WFCN News, the shooting happened around 5 p.m. near the 900 block of East Kell Street in Centralia. Multiple law enforcement agencies have since responded to scene and multiple victims are hospitalized, according to the report.
It’s unclear how many people may have been injured and what led up to the shooting.
Centralia, Illinois is about 70 miles, or just over an hour, east of St. Louis.
This is a developing story. FOX 2 will update as more information becomes available.
The National Weather Service has teams of storm surveryors in the field April 18 investigating several reports of severe storms and tornado touch downs across eastern Iowa, northwest Illinois and northeast Missouri.
According to the weather service’s website, windgusts of up to 60 to 70 mph along with teacup-sized hail and several tornadoes were reported April 17.
Many homes and outbuildings were damaged, trees were uprooted and power lines were downed in Lena, Illinois, where the most significant damage occurred, the site pointed out.
Very strong winds also were reported near Washington, Iowa, and Colmar, Illinois, where several outbuildings and grain bins were destroyed.
The weather service received reports of confirmed and possible tornadoes in the areas of Lena, Pecatonica, Shirland, Rockton, Roscoe and Capron.
The teams will be assessing damage this weekend into next week along with county emergency management teams to determine what types of storms occurred and their paths.
Dozens of power outages were reported, as well.
As of the afternoon of April 18, ComEd was reporting 85 active power outages across northern Illinois, down from 241 on April 17, and 6,751 customers affected, down from more than 18,000.
The bulk of those outages and the most customers impacted are concentrated in Jo Daviess and Stephenson counties.
Freeze Watch
from MON 12:00 AM CDT until MON 9:00 AM CDT, Lake County, Kankakee County, La Salle County, DuPage County, Northern Will County, DeKalb County, Southern Will County, Kendall County, Southern Cook County, Northern Cook County, Grundy County, Eastern Will County, Kane County, McHenry County, Lake County, Newton County, Jasper County, Porter County
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