NORFOLK, Va. — Cases of the flu are dominating hospitals across Virginia. According to the latest data from the Virginia Department of Health, approximately 24% of all emergency room visits in the past week have been respiratory illness-related. Of that number, nearly 10% are flu cases.
“Respiratory illness is rapidly taking off here in Virginia,” said Elena Diskin, the state’s Respiratory Disease Program Manager. “This past week, about one in four emergency department visits were for respiratory illnesses.”
The spike comes just days after people met with families and friends following the holiday travel period. While a spike in illnesses is usually expected, Diskin said this year’s is particularly harsh…