ROCKINGHAM — FirstHealth’s hospitals have been restricting patient visitation for more than a month due to the high number of respiratory illnesses across the region and the state.
According to data from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, 17% of all emergency department visits for the week ending Feb. 15 involved patients with symptoms of respiratory illness.
That number was down from a seasonal peak of 21.2% the first week of the month, with 3.371 patients admitted with symptoms of a respiratory virus including influenza, respiratory syncytial virus and COVID-19.
North Carolina hospitals have reported more than 15,000 positive flu tests since the last week of January, with nearly 92% of those being Type A (not subtyped). Reports show that 610 cases in the same period have been H1N1, a Type A variant referred to as the swine flu.
On Feb. 12, NCDHHS reported there had been two pediatric flu deaths in the state, one in the east and one in central North Carolina. At that time, there had also been 171 adult flu-related deaths for the season.
"This is a sad reminder that seasonal influenza can be serious and, in some cases, even fatal,” State Epidemiologist Zack Moore said in a press release. “If you or your loved ones have not received the flu vaccine this season, please consider doing so to help protect your family and those around you."
Region 3 — which encompasses the Sandhills and includes Richmond, Moore, Hoke and Scotland counties — has been among the top regions with patients exhibiting flu-like symptoms, peaking at 15% the week ending Jan. 25.
Of those, 12.9% of patients had flu-like symptoms, 3.3% had COVID symptoms and 1.2% had RSV-like symptoms.
The region also had the highest percentages the last week of December and the first week of January; as well has the highest percentages of COVID-like symptoms from mid-October through the first week of January and again for the week ending Jan. 25.
“Mild COVID-19 illness presents with symptoms similar to influenza-like illness, so surveillance systems that have historically been used during influenza seasons are being used to track trends of mild COVID-19 illness and allow for comparison with prior influenza seasons,” reads the NCDHHS Detailed Respiratory Virus Surveillance Dashboard.
The percentage of such visits appears to have decreased statewide in the past two weeks.
Since Jan. 8, FirstHealth has limited visitation to immediate family members and not allowed children under the age of 12. The regional chain also encourages anyone feeling unwell to avoid visitation.
The restrictions apply to all FirstHealth hospitals — including Moore Regional Hospital-Richmond in Rockingham — as well as rehabilitation and outpatient clinics.
“These measures have been implemented as a precaution to limit the spread of flu during a particularly active season,” said Jayne Lee, director of infection control and patient safety, said in a press release last month. “We are committed to safeguarding the well-being of everyone in our care.”
A spokesperson told the RO on Feb. 19 that a “continual decline in the number of flu and respiratory illnesses throughout the region and within FirstHealth hospitals” is the determining factor on lifting restrictions.
Health officials offer the following guidelines to avoid the spread of respiratory illness:
