Respiratory illnesses are on the rise!

January 5, 2023

Seems like a lot of colleagues and clients and their family members are sick. That’s because they are! 

Influenza-Like Illness

Over 6% of office visits are due to respiratory illness, twice the usual proportion. On the chart below, this year is the red line (with circles), and this data is from the last week of 2023. In fact, there are now more hospitalizations due to influenza than due to COVID-19, even though both are rising. Many hospitals are now full.

This year’s flu vaccine is very effective (lowering the risk of hospitalization by 47%), and it’s not too late to get vaccinated!

Portion of Outpatient Visits Due to Respiratory Illness

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, January 4, 2024 LINK The red arrow is the last week of 2023.

COVID-19

The wastewater level of the virus that causes COVID-19 is also high and rising:

Biobot, 1/4/24 LINK

And COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to rise - they were at about 29,000 per week just before the holiday, and are likely to be higher now.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)

RSV infections have not yet slowed down.

Source: CDC January 4, 2024 LINK

Vaccination rates remain low:

-        Influenza  42.2% Source

-        COVID-19  17% Source

-        RSV (over 60) 17% Source

Some hospital systems across the country have reinstituted mask requirements for patient-facing employees.

Implications for employers:

-        The rate of respiratory infections is high; travel and gatherings during the holiday week generally lead to higher rates of infection in early January

-        Vaccination is available against influenza and COVID-19 for all, and for RSV for those ages 60 and over.

-        Employers can expect to see more absences from respiratory illnesses and should encourage employees not to come to the workplace if they are sick. Many will work remotely to the extent that they are able.

-        Workplaces should be “mask friendly,” as many employees might be at higher risk or live with those at higher risk.

Thanks for reading.  You can find previous posts in the Employer Coverage archive

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