Triangle, Fayetteville ERs filling up with sick people as flu, COVID, RSV cases mount
Flu cases are increasing again after going down for a few weeks.
The newest numbers show 3,364 people tested positive across North Carolina last week. That's up compared to 3,011 positives the week before.
The bump in cases can be felt at local hospitals, where patients are starting to see an increase in wait times. Doctors in emergency rooms is the Triangle and in Fayetteville are dealing with patients suffering from more than just respiratory illnesses.
Our WRAL data trackers looked at the latest hospital capacity and intake numbers from the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.
About one out of every four people who went to the Cape Fear Valley Medical Center (CFVMC) Emergency Room last week was there for a respiratory issues which was suspected to be COVID-19, the data shows. The number held steady, even as ER visits dropped.
In Fayetteville, the total number of Emergency Room visits went down 12 percent in a week, but the percentage of those coming in with COVID stayed the same. Around the Triangle, WakeMed saw the same trend. But Duke Raleigh, UNC Rex and UNC in Chapel Hill saw the opposite trend. As ER visits dropped, the percentage of those coming in with COVID went up.
Patients with heart attacks, chest pains and stroke get priority. While emergency rooms are obligated to see patients who walk in, doctors are asking those with less severe injuries to seek care at urgent care offices.
"We still have almost 30 people with COVID in the hospital, almost 20 with flu," said Dr. Michael Zappa, Chief Clinical Officer at CFVMC. "About 10 or so with RSV. but lots of people with respiratory illnesses could be seen in urgent care centers or even their primary care physician's offices."
Zappa runs the emergency room at CFVMC. Like his colleagues at hospitals across the state, his emergency room is staying packed.
Doctors say we're just moving into the cold and flu season. With COVID restrictions lifted and people traveling for the holidays, they expect even more people will be getting sick.
"We see over 300 patients every single day," Zappa said. "We've got the respiratory illnesses. we've got COVID. we've got flu. we've got RSV. But, we have all the others that we routinely take care of as well."
Zappa means things like chest pain, stroke and severe allergic reactions. Many of those problems can be handle at a local urgent care in the community. Along with things like a sinus infection, cold or flu symptoms or minor cuts, burns or skin rashes.
Parents can avoid the emergency room and take their children to the pediatric primary care doctor for minor asthma attacks, bronchitis, colds and cough or the flu.
Doctors say we're beginning the see the impact of coming off COVID restrictions across the country.
"Now the masks are off and we're out in the community, it's a holiday season. we're mixing with family and loved ones from other areas and mixing all of those different virus so you will see more illness," said UNC Health Rex Chief Medical Officer Dr. Linda Butler.
Cape Fear Valley Medical Center has taken steps to handle the tremendous volume of ER patients.
"We have added an additional doctor. Even if we have patients waiting in the waiting room, you not only will have been seen by one of our nurses, you will actually get seen by a physician," Zappa said.
In summary, doctors aren't discouraging patients from coming to the hospital. They just want you to check out other options so you don't have to wait so long.
“Our goal is to provide the best care for our patients," Zappa said. "Like other healthcare providers, we are seeing a seasonal influx of patients at Emergency Departments and Urgent Care centers. Wait times vary based on acuity, and we have dedicated systems in place to address this area. We also shift resources to be able to accommodate all patients who come to our hospitals."
Growth in regional population and a high incidence of viral illness (particularly among children) contribute to patient volumes. Holiday gatherings also have the potential to increase the community spread of viral illnesses.
"We encourage everyone to continue to take proper precautions in preventing viral spread, such as good hand hygiene, staying home when ill, and staying up to date on vaccinations,” Zappa said.
A WakeMed chart shows where you should seek treatment.
