It’s a new year which typically means a time of reflection, retrospection, and resolution.
And while many of us are setting out with big plans to prioritize our health and wellness as we embark upon a new year, we are also unfortunately in the midst of respiratory illness season. On a daily basis, Chaffee County Public Health is hearing about waves of various illnesses hitting the community, and they range from mild to severe while also impacting otherwise healthy individuals. It is imperative that we do what we can to protect ourselves and loved ones from serious illness as well as minimize the impact that this has on our healthcare system. Reports from Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center indicate that the emergency department is recently inundated with COVID, influenza, and sometimes both. National news is reporting on influenza and RSV outbreaks daily. If someone is sick with a respiratory illness regardless of what it is, we are asking that the public be considerate and take the recommended precautions.
According to Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s respiratory data dashboard, COVID, RSV, and influenza rates and hospitalizations are currently increasing. We do not yet know if they will reach the same peak as they did in the winter of 2022-2023, but it appears as though they are headed in that direction.
With an uncertain future, Chaffee County Public Health encourages everyone to do their part to prioritize health this respiratory illness season. The end of the COVID disaster declaration does not mean that living with COVID is over. While we may be wary of COVID after living with it in our lives for almost 4 years, it is still recommended to follow at least a 5-day isolation period and to wear a mask for the 5 days after that.
Masking to protect oneself or others is still an effective strategy in mitigating the spread of viruses. Getting vaccinated is a highly effective tool to preventing severe illness and hospitalization from influenza and COVID. Most insurances cover the cost of these, and Chaffee County Public Health has a program that can offer them for free in situations where someone does not have insurance. Only 13% of Colorado has gotten the annual COVID shot in comparison to 19% nation-wide which is very concerning. While the steady stream of free rapid tests that was once available at Chaffee County Public Health is now behind us, households should secure their allotment of 4 free tests from the federal government at covidtests.org. A negative test does not necessarily mean that you do not have COVID, so if you are symptomatic, we are asking that you continue to be cautious in spreading whatever illness you might have. Healthcare providers and their staff may be following stricter recommendations, and we ask the public to respect their protocols. A list of guidelines if you test positive can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/isolation.html.
As healthcare providers and leaders, we have patiently implemented the longstanding public health measures that continue to be recommended by the CDC, including testing, isolation, masking, etc. We hope that someday soon, COVID evolves into an illness where these measures are no longer as necessary as they have been, and we can treat it similarly to other respiratory illnesses. However, we are not at that point quite yet.
Hopefully, we will experience a calm and manageable respiratory illness season this year and for years to come, and it is going to take everyone to do their part. I wish everyone a safe, healthy, and happy 2024!
