GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — It’s now that time of year after the holidays, where hospitals are seeing a surge in viral illnesses. Although Corewell Health says that a surge is typical for this time of year, COVID-19 and RSV have led to them being busier than usual.
In order to mitigate long wait times and the workload, doctors are urging people to seek out care that matches the severity of their symptoms. They warn that going to an emergency room without having an emergency can take up too many resources, and cause a domino effect across the hospital.
“Whenever we start seeing this much infectiousness and infectivity in the community, where people are taking up a lot of hospital resources, we start looking at delaying interventions, delaying surgeries and things like that,” said Dr. CJ Gibson, Vice President for Medical Affairs at Corewell Health.
Dr. Gibson suggests that those who don’t have an emergency visit places like a walk-in clinic.
A runny nose or slight sore throat are symptoms that can often be managed at home. However, if symptoms worsen, and you get a high fever, Corewell says to reach out to your primary care doctor. They also suggest going through virtual urgent care, where you can reach someone at any time.
Doctors say that the simplest way to stay healthy is to wash your hands and stay away from others who may be sick.
