PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Heart’s emergency division is experiencing unprecedented affected person volumes as a result of rise of respiratory sickness instances in Clark County.
Hanley mentioned anybody who’s experiencing problem respiration or getting sufficient oxygen ought to come to the emergency division for analysis.
A go to to a main care or pressing care clinic could also be a extra appropriate choice for different flu or respiratory virus signs, similar to physique aches or coughing, Hanley mentioned.
PeaceHealth has two clinics that supply same-day, drop-in care with prolonged hours in Vancouver. PeaceHealth Mill Plain Precedence Care Clinic, 315 S.E. Stone Mill Drive, is open 8 a.m. to six p.m. each day. PeaceHealth Fisher’s Touchdown Precedence Care Clinic, 16811 S.E. McGillivray Blvd., Ste. 101, is open 8 a.m. to eight p.m. each day.
Clark County Public Well being has been monitoring the variety of emergency division visits and hospitalizations because of respiratory sicknesses, together with influenza, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.
However, solely 24.5 p.c of Clark County residents have obtained a 2024-25 flu vaccine, and statewide the flu vaccination charge is 26.8 p.c, in response to Public Well being.
From Dec. 22-28, Public Well being recorded a charge of 36.10 p.c influenza positivity of the 928 individuals examined.
From Dec. 29 by way of Jan. 4, 6.9 p.c of emergency division visits had been as a result of flu; 0.5 p.c had been because of COVID-19 and 0.8 p.c had been because of RSV.
Throughout that very same week, 6.9 p.c of hospital admissions had been as a result of flu; 1.4 p.c had been because of COVID-19 and 1.1 p.c had been because of RSV.
“While influenza activity is already high, it’s not too late to get your flu vaccine,” Melnick beforehand mentioned. “The flu season can last months. Getting vaccinated now will provide protection throughout the rest of the flu season.”