Rochester, N.Y. (WHAM) — Respiratory illnesses are causing significant concerns for local hospitals as they grapple with existing challenges.
“This increase in sickness is putting a strain, quite frankly, on our health care systems and all of their staff,” said Dr. Marielena Vélez de Brown, Monroe County’s commissioner of public health.
Rochester Regional Health and the University of Rochester Medical Center are experiencing spikes in respiratory illnesses, resulting in overcapacity.
“It’s a concern for us, naturally, to have enough patient capacity with emergency departments very crowded and resulting in delays in care,” said Dr. Robert Mayo, chief medical officer at Rochester Regional Health.
Influenza is currently the leading respiratory illness, followed by COVID-19 and RSV.
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Last weekend, Rochester Regional Health reached a capacity of 150%, while URMC was also over capacity, treating more than 1,100 patients.
“That creates long wait times in the emergency room for patients with non-critical needs, and means many admitted patients receive care in hallways while waiting for a room,” said Dr. Michael Apostolakos, chief medical officer for Strong Memorial and Highland hospitals.
As of now, neither hospital system believes the spike in respiratory illnesses will lead to a halt of elective surgeries.
“We’re in a much different cycle this time around than we were earlier in the pandemic, where most of the COVID patients had much longer and extended lengths of stay,” Mayo said. “iIf we do keep triggering some pretty significant capacity challenges, then we will certainly have to look at some more of the extreme measures that we took during that during the time of the pandemic, but thus far, we have not needed to do that.”
Due to the overcapacity issues, both hospital systems are advising people to use video visit through your smartphone or computer, visiting your primary care provider, or an urgent care center for less serious illnesses and injuries.
“There’s no way to know currently if we’ve reached our peak. It’s just impossible to say,” Vélez de Brown said. “But what the community can do to help us make sure that this was our peak was to get vaccinated, to stay home, to wear masks if you have to go out when you’re sick.”
Between Oct. 1, 2024 and Jan. 11 of this year, there were more than 8,700 cases of either COVID-19, the flu, or RSV, according to the county’s dashboard. Health leaders are urging people to get vaccinated, as 24 people have died during this period.
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