Category – COVID hit Europe , News – The Economic Times
A concerning rise in respiratory illnesses, encompassing RSV, COVID-19, and influenza, has prompted health authorities in the Twin Cities metro area to reinstate face mask requirements.
United States: The cases related to RSV, COVID-19, and flu have been sweeping the Twin Cities metro, and as a precautionary measure, the health authorities have ordered the wearing of face masks again.
The reports have outlined that M Health Fairview and Allina Health have reinstated masks for staff members.
The concern was addressed by a senior epidemiologist with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) – Melissa McMahon, who stated, “We are seeing a lot of respiratory illness in Minnesota right now. There’s a lot of COVID activity, there’s a lot of flu activity,” according to kstp.com.
Reports have also suggested that the data by MDH has revealed that hospitalization related to COVID-19 and flu has been witnessing an upsurge across the state. However, the hospital admissions linked to RSV remained the same as the previous week.
McMahon was quoted saying, “I do know that hospitals and emergency departments are reporting that they’re quite busy right now. I do think we are probably in the range of the busiest times of the year. I can’t predict how much higher activity will get or when it will start to drop off.”
Local healthcare providers!
One of the local healthcare providers – Hennepin Healthcare, has stated that it has been experiencing a high demand and longer wait times for its clinics and emergency departments. Additionally, a similar concern was raised by Allina Health.
Further, Children’s Minnesota has also informed its patients about the longer wait time for its emergency departments (EDs). The wait time has been four hours and above at its Minneapolis location, according to the provider. The wait time was decreased by 30-60 minutes by the end of the last week.
Along with this, the St Paul Campus also issued a warning about the waiting time, which is two to three hours.
A primary care pediatrician for Children’s Minnesota – Dr Liz Placzek, stated about the same and said, “ER wait times, it’s busy, it’s busy just like our other clinics. Unfortunately, we’ve had to send several kids this week to the emergency room from the clinic.”
While elaborating on the types of patients seeking treatment, she stated that the doctors in the clinic have been dealing with patients complaining about colds, COVID-19, RSV, and flu, as per the reports by kstp.com.
She mentioned, “These numbers started to increase right before the holidays, so we knew we were going to see more sick kids.”
Dr Placzek further shared that the population, aged between eight months and two years, is at the highest risk for illness. She suggested precautions and mentioned, “Keep them away from people who are sick if you can, so avoid big groups and gatherings if you know your child is at increased risk.” Additionally, Children’s Minnesota suggested that parents and guardians visit their nearest emergency department if they notice any symptoms of the illnesses in their wards