There was a regional spike in influenza like illnesses (ILI) in the area and flu levels remain higher in the Champaign region. From the News-Gazette last week:
Four area hospitals restricting visitors amid uptick in flu casesMore at the full article here. The spike has leveled down some, as you can see from the latest data (available here from the Illinois Department of Public Health and explanation of "MMWR weeks" here):
Four area hospitals are imposing visitor restrictions starting today due to an increase in flu cases.
Both Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana and Carle Hoopeston Regional Health Center have begun limiting the number of visitors to two at a time in a patient room.
OSF Heart of Mary Medical Center in Urbana, OSF Sacred Heart Medical Center in Danville and the two Carle hospitals are also restricting visitors to age 18 and older and asking that anyone with symptoms of respiratory illness or flu refrain from visiting patients.
Carle hospitals are further requesting that visits to patients in isoloation due to flu be limited to those vital to the patients' well-being.
Carle has recently seen about a 7 percent increase in flu cases over the same time last year, according to Carle spokeswoman Jamie Mullin...
The Illinois Department of Public Health typically starts calling on hospitals to begin visitor restrictions when flu reaches the widespread level, meaning outbreaks have occurred in at least half of the regions in the state.
As of late December, the level of flu-like illness being reported by providers in the Champaign region was higher than those levels reported in the other six regions in the state, according to IDPH data.
As usual, health officials strongly encourage people who can get a flu shot to get one to protect themselves and others from the misery, lost income, but also tragedy like the recent death of a three year old.
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