- Subline Title: 2023 Fall and Winter Respiratory Illness Season Update- the forecast calls for a wintry mix
Overall, we are seeing low overall respiratory illness activity in Ohio, compared to other parts of the United States, however the # of healthcare visits is increasing locally for fever and cough or sore throat. We are seeing increasing cases of many respiratory illnesses which have similar symptoms including RSV, COVID, Influenza, and others.
We can expect that that this winter we will continue to see a mix of respiratory viruses and bacterial infections circulating.
Pertussis- We are currently having a community outbreak of pertussis or whooping cough.
- In Montgomery County, we have had xxx cases since the outbreak began on September 2 and a total of xxx cases so far this year. By comparison, there were a total of 13 cases in 2022.
- While the cases have ranged in age all the way up to 70+ years, 96% of the cases have been in children, with clusters of cases in the 4–6-year-old group and the 13–17-year-old group.
- About 2/3 of the cases attend school. Various school districts and building around the county have had cases of pertussis.
We can protect ourselves and others by
- Staying up to date with vaccines, including-
- Flu and COVID-19 and RSV vaccines and immunizations
- Routine vaccinations such as pertussis (whooping cough) and measles, which we know decreased during the COVID pandemic, leaving individuals and community more susceptible to infection.
- Stay home when sick and avoid others who are sick. Making sure to have a stocked medicine cabinet with ibuprofen and acetaminophen for everyone in the family, including children if needed.
- Test and seek treatment. School districts can order free COVID test kits directly from the government. On November 20th, the government opened up another round of free COVID test ordering for households at COVIDTests.gov. Tests are also available to pick up at PH.
- Cover coughs and sneezes
- Wash hands frequently
- Improve airflow and ventilation
