The level of respiratory illness activity is high in Pennsylvania, and the number of people seeking healthcare for symptoms is increasing.
Dr. Ronald Strony, an ER Physician at Geisinger Wyoming Valley, says they’ve seen an influx of patients coming into the ER with cold and flu symptoms. That means longer wait times and resources spread thin.
“Emergency medicine by its nature has to take care of the sickest of the sick first, so for those folks who are presenting with lower acuity illnesses or injuries, the unfortunate part is that those are the folks that are gonna be waiting the longest.”
He says by doing so, they put others and themselves at risk for more illness.
The right place to go, he says, is to a walk-in clinic, urgent care, or your primary care physician.
“For people that may not feel at home is the right place, certainly a call to their family doctor is appropriate. Certainly, a usage of a [Geisinger] ConvenientCare, or an urgent care is very appropriate,” Dr. Strony said. “However, if someone is significantly sick, we are not asking people to stay away from the emergency department, if they can't breathe, if they're passing out, if they're confused, or disoriented, by all means, come to the emergency department.”
Urgent cares and walk-in clinics both treat acute illnesses, and are less costly than a hospital visit.
The most common viruses the nation is seeing are Influenza A, RSV, and COVID-19.
The CDC’s COVID Data Tracker shows a 12.8% increase in COVID-19 ER visits nationwide, and a 20.4% increase in hospitalizations. Specifically, Lackawanna, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Schuylkill, Snyder, Tioga, Union and Wayne Counties in Pennsylvania have a high COVID-19 hospitalization per the CDC.
The Electric City Trolley Museum started requiring masks due to the U.S. Department of Interior guidelines. UPMC instituted masking requirements at all facilities on December 20th due to the rise in respiratory illnesses.
Geisinger requires that healthcare providers wear a mask when interacting with patients, but it is not required for patients at this time. At Commonwealth Health System hospitals, including Moses Taylor Hospital, Regional Hospital of Scranton, and Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, masks remain optional.
The U.S. Government continues to make at-home COVID-19 tests available. A household can order four tests at this link if they haven’t before November 20, 2023. Households that did not order home tests previously in the fall can receive eight.
If you still have tests at home that have exceeded their expiration date, the CDC has extended the dates for some.
