Johnson Memorial Health sees steady stream of respiratory virus cases

The new year is here and with it could come an increase in respiratory virus activity.

Parties around Christmas and on New Year’s Eve brought many people together in indoor spaces, where viruses are more easily spread.

So far, Johnson Memorial Health has seen a steady and manageable amount of patients with the three most common respiratory viruses, COVID-19, influenza and RSV, said Dr. David Dunkle, president and CEO. These viruses and increases in them following holidays come around year after year and this is no exception, he said.

“We’ve definitely seen an increase in respiratory volumes, especially in our emergency department or immediate care in our physician practices. Our admissions have been stable,” Dunkle said. “We have seen a mix of influenza, RSV, and COVID, just like many other hospitals have.”

Hospitals in Indianapolis have issued visitor restrictions at the recommendation of the Marion County Health Department, but the situation in Johnson County doesn’t call for that at this time, Dunkle said. Hospital officials are keeping their eyes on trends in infection and could add restrictions if the situation worsens, he said.

Right now, JMH is recommending but not requiring masks in the hospital, immediate care centers and doctor’s offices. Visitation hours also remain normal at the hospital.

While the strains of each of these are not particularly dangerous at this time, they are contagious and have the potential to sicken many people. This can cause workforce issues at the hospital and in the larger economy, Dunkle said.

Experts say all three viruses can be deadly to vulnerable groups including people 65 and older and children.

So far this year, the 14 flu deaths in Indiana have been in the 65 and older and the 4 and under age groups, aside from one death in the 50-64 age group, Indiana Department of Health data shows. About 4.8% of the patients visiting emergency rooms and urgent cares in Johnson County are visiting for treatment of an influenza-like illness, IDOH data shows.

In the most recent reporting period across Indiana for COVID-19, there have been 837 reported diagnoses, 640 emergency room visits for, 127 hospital admissions, and three deaths, IDOH’s COVID-19 dashboard shows.

There is no publicly available reporting database for RSV.

All three viruses have a vaccine and people of all ages should consider getting them to best protect against the virus, Dunkle said. It is particularly important for people who are most at risk for serious complications to get vaccinated, he said.

Vaccination and the classic recommendations for protecting against viral illnesses continue to apply this year.

“Vaccination is a personal decision, but I do feel that if you want to decrease your risk of becoming ill, (you should) take advantage of the vaccines that are available to you,” Dunkle said. “And continue to socially distance, follow good hygiene, wash hands, etc. And it’s still socially acceptable to wear a mask if you have respiratory symptoms.”