Across the Carolinas, health systems have seen an increase in respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, flu and RSV.
The state has seen the number of flu cases increase by 370 since last week, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.Â
The number of RSV cases in North Carolina has also increased by 263 since last week.
Emergency room visits for symptoms of respiratory viruses have increased, too.Â
For the week ending on Dec. 2, 12% of emergency room visits in North Carolina had symptoms of respiratory viruses, up from 11% the week before.Â
For comparison, the week ending on July 1 saw a total of 3.5% of emergency room visits having symptoms of a respiratory system.Â
Due to this increase, Atrium Health has implemented new policies to protect vulnerable communities.
Starting Thursday, Dec. 7, Atrium Health will implement temporary visitor restrictions for children aged 12 and younger.Â
Atrium Health will also temporarily require masking in high-risk settings, such as nursing facilities, inpatient hospices and emergency rooms.
Health officials strongly encourage people to stay home when sick and maintain good respiratory etiquette, such as frequent hand washing and covering your nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing.Â
Most importantly, health officials recommend staying current on all vaccines – including the updated COVID-19 vaccine and the new RSV vaccine – to best protect against illness heading into the holiday season.
