GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Corewell Health is asking people across the state to match their symptoms to their settings, citing an increasing number of patients and long wait times in the Emergency Room.
“We're also seeing quite an influx of patients related to some of the respiratory viruses that are in season right now that's wreaking a lot of havoc on how many people are coming to the hospital at once because they don't feel well,” Dr. CJ Gibson, Chief Medical Officer at Corewell Health West Michigan said.
When they say match their symptoms to your setting—that means getting the appropriate care for your symptoms. Not all respiratory illnesses warrant a trip to the emergency room.
Doctors emphasize using other options before going to the ER, including a virtual or in-person visit to a nearby urgent care facility. Calling your primary care doctor could also be a way to keep you out of the hospital, and help you save some money.
Corewell has a guide for what level of care people should seek out, relative to your symptoms.
“It's been a reasonably bad respiratory season so far, and flu has been on the rise. So influenza is up to, you know, between 25 and 30% positivity right now. So it means that, you know, out of every 10 people who are getting tested, you know, two to three are testing positive, and that includes both in and out patient,” Dr Matthew Sims, Director of Infectious Diseases Research at Corewell Health Southeast Michigan said.
Dr. Matthew Sims says it’s not too late for people to get their flu shot, and that the flu season typically runs through May.
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