PEORIA, Ill. — The cold and flu season is underway, and with it an increased volume of patients has shown up in the emergency room at OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center.
To help ease wait times, the hospital recommends patients with the flu contact their primary care doctor as a first step.
So, how do you know it’s the flu?
“The body aches, the fever, and the sudden onset are typically the triggers that define that it’s the flu,” Trau said.
Trau told WMBD’s Greg and Dan, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is concerned about this year’s flu.
“They’re worried that this is going to be some of the worst flu we’ve seen in upwards of 20 to 30 years,” Trau said.
Trau said patients with certain flu symptoms should not go to emergency room.
OSF HealthCare offers several options for patients after regular office hours. OSF OnCall is virtual urgent care that is available 24/7 from your computer or phone; OSF Urgo urgent care clinics are open 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. daily. OSF PromptCare locations in the Peoria area are also open 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., offering a “get in line” option online.
If you have a child under the age of 18, OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois offers a 24/7 pediatric emergency room located next to the general emergency room at OSF Saint Francis.
Trau said if you have a fever, stay home, get plenty of rest, wash your hands often, and cough or sneeze into your elbow to avoid spreading germs to others.
“If you feel like you are having an emergency, we absolutely want you to come to the emergency room. Especially patients with chronic diseases and those at a higher risk such as children, the elderly, and those who are vulnerable,” Trau said.
