CINCINNATI (WKRC) - As COVID-19, the flu, and RSV continue to spread, emergency room visits are also on the rise.
So, as hospital beds fill up in the Tri-State -- especially with respiratory illnesses -- The Health Collaborative is asking everyone to separate their symptoms to choose the place that can provide the right kind of care.
That kind of care may or may not be in the emergency room.
“Use the emergency department wisely,” said Tiffany Mattingly, vice president of clinical strategies for The Health Collaborative.
The organization tracks hospital data. In the past few weeks, cases of COVID-19, RSV, and other respiratory viruses have continued to climb.
“We are in the high category ranked by the CDC for influenza in Ohio, as well,” said Mattingly.
However, she says the severity of these illnesses can be different in everyone.
“If you are not feeling well, if you have a fever, try to make an appointment with your primary care practitioner,” she said.
Your practitioner might recommend an urgent care or ER visit if your symptoms are severe enough.
“If you have shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, your lips are turning blue, you're audibly hearing wheezing, you have a fever that you can’t get down, if you can’t hold down liquids, those are times to go to the emergency department,” said Mattingly.
She says The Health Collaborative is carefully tracking these trends right now to see if this is a post-holiday bump, or if cases of these illnesses are going to keep rising.
