As Ohio and Michigan are seeing some of the nation’s highest rates in influenza, local emergency rooms and urgent care centers are filling with patients seeking relief.
“It seems like everyone has the flu now,” said Dr. Brad Uren, an emergency medicine physician at University of Michigan Hospital.
Emergency room physicians in northwest Ohio are in agreement.
“ProMedica’s emergency departments typically see an increase in the number of people presenting with influenza this time of year,” said Dr. Michael Mattin, medical director of the ProMedica Toledo Hospital’s emergency department. “However, the current numbers are significantly higher than usual.”
The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control have classified this as a high-severity season for all age groups. The previous high-severity season was in 2017-2018. Additionally, Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire are rated in the very high category.
“Local urgent care centers and emergency departments are seeing hours-long wait times due to the surge in flu-related visits,” said Dr. Robert Mills, chief medical officer for Nationwide Children’s Hospital-Toledo.
“From a national perspective, Ohio — including northwest Ohio — is experiencing significantly higher levels of influenza compared to typical flu season patterns,” he said. “Primary care offices are especially busy this time of year managing acute illnesses, with influenza A being the most prevalent.”
Dr. Mills suggested that parents might want to try an in-home rapid flu test — easily found over the counter — that can help confirm a diagnosis. At that time, a parent might want to reach out to a primary care provider for guidance.
This flu season may continue for several more weeks or even months, according to Dr. Mills, who noted that it is not too late to get vaccinated.
“Receiving a flu vaccine remains one of the best ways to protect yourself and your children from severe illness,” he said.
Nationally, the CDC estimates there have been at least 37 million illnesses, 480,000 hospitalizations, and 21,000 deaths from flu so far this season. In northwest Ohio, there were 303 hospitalizations related to influenza for the week ending Feb. 22, according to the Ohio Health Department.
As of Feb. 1, the Ohio Hospital Association reported 9,000 influenza-related hospitalizations, surpassing the five-year average. A teenager from Allen County was the first pediatric death for the 2024-25 season. In Michigan, there have been five pediatric deaths reported.
“We are seeing lots of patients with viral symptoms,” said Dr. William Saunders, medical director of the emergency department at the University of Toledo Medical Center. “We are in the middle of that season right now.”
Dr. Uren said he notices that the emergency room starts with very small numbers of patients in the early morning then builds throughout the day and peaks in the early evening.
“The wait times are getting longer because there is a bit more activity,” said Dr. Uren, noting that his colleagues are not immune from the flu and have had to hand over their workloads when they get sick.
“They don't want to bring those viruses into a hospital setting,” he said. “It does create some ripples and challenges.”
Most hospital emergency rooms are doing triage, and those with more severe symptoms with underlying conditions may be seen first. In some hospitals emergency rooms, patients may be kept for a while in emergency room cubicles while waiting for a hospital room.
Doctors suggest visiting an urgent care center if symptoms are not severe, as those facilities have honed their skills in getting less sick people in and out quickly.
Mercy Health facilities are seeing high patient volumes, as well.
“Our emergency room visit volumes are high with a marked increase seen for respiratory symptoms,” said Dr. James Tita, chief clinical officer at Mercy Health-Toledo. “Whenever there are high levels of influenza circulating in the community, the overall level of illness increases — for example, an increase in exacerbations of pre-existing heart and lung disease.”
For those in need, antiviral medications are available if accessed quickly, Dr. Tita said.
“The vaccine this year is about 40 percent to 50 percent effective in preventing severe disease, and given the late peak of flu this season, immunity from the vaccines administered in the fall may be waning,” he said. “It is not too late to get vaccinated if you have not been, although it takes about two weeks for immunity to develop.”
First Published March 5, 2025, 4:08 p.m.
