Here’s our weekly round-up of what illnesses are spreading the most in Metro Detroit communities, according to our local doctors and hospitals.
Local doctors share their notes on What’s Going Around:
Wayne County: Strep throat, respiratory viruses, stomach viruses, colds, COVID, pink eye
Dr. Jayna Gardner-Gray -- Emergency Department, Henry Ford Hospital Detroit
“We have been seeing a lot of environmental exposure from frost nip to frost bite. A lot of times it goes completely unnoticed by the patients because even though it is cold it’s not as cold as we are used to, so people are spending longer periods of time outdoors.”
Dr. Jason Veider -- Emergency Department, Henry Ford Medical Center Plymouth and Henry Ford Medical Center Fairlane
“A small spike in COVID. Less than one percent of COVID cases are being hospitalized now. We are seeing some slip and falls due to slippery roads/sidewalks.”
Dr. Jennifer Stephens-Hoyer -- Emergency Department, Henry Ford Medical Center Plymouth
“Viral respiratory infections and gastrointestinal illnesses have been common and pretty steady in presentation. Weather related injuries and motor vehicle accidents have also been common. Drug and alcohol use and dependence are seen across all ages of adults and socioeconomic groups. These patterns of substance use contribute to development and exacerbation of other medical and psychiatric conditions which cause our patients significant hardships.”
Dr. Glen Clark -- Chief of Emergency, Corewell Health Beaumont Grosse Pointe Hospital
“There is a significant decrease in viral respiratory issues, with the occasional COVID infection, but those are continuing at a lesser rate. We are seeing very few cases of Influenza and RSV. There is a minor increase in GI viruses, gastroenteritis, with a lot of vomiting and diarrhea. We continue to see a lot of mental health issues, including depression and suicidal ideation every day. No question these numbers have increased since the pandemic. Wash your hands. If you’re sick, stay away from others. And we are still recommending vaccinations.”
Dr. Zafar Shamoon -- Chief of Emergency, Corewell Health Dearborn Hospital
“We have seen a slight bump in COVID compared to weeks past. We are still seeing significant slip and falls and some trauma, related to the weather and icy conditions. We encourage the community to be intentional about wearing appropriate footwear before leaving home, and being patient and cautious when navigating slippery conditions. We are also seeing an increase in pediatric illness, including viral infections, colds, and COVID.”
Oakland County: Stomach viruses, COVID, croup, bronchitis, mononucleosis, fungal skin infections
Dr. Michael Gratson -- Emergency physician, Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital, Royal Oak
“With the recent icy weather, we have seen a rather large rise in the number of broken bones that have resulted from slip and fall injuries. With regards to infectious disease, thankfully, the RSV peak seems to be a few weeks behind us. Currently, we are seeing many cases of gastroenteritis or stomach flu.”
Dr. Rena Daiza -- Primary Care Physician, Henry Ford Medical Center Bloomfield Twp.
“The past few weeks, I have had a lot of patients with dry skin issues turning into rashes and at times skin infections. It is important to maintain adequate hydration and use lotion on your skin generously. This can prevent itching and dryness. When our skin is dry we tend to itch and can break that barrier causing an infection.”
Emergency Department, Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital
“Seeing a lot of falls, back pain and respiratory issues. Some COVID and flu. Not a lot but still showing up in the ED.”
Washtenaw County: Stomach viruses, respiratory infections, COVID, influenza
Dr. Brad Uren -- Clinical Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, Michigan Medicine
“Still seeing COVID. Not much flu. Scattered non-flu, non-COVID URIs . Lots of slips and falls on ice yesterday.”
Dr. Marisa Louie -- Medical Director of Children’s Emergency Services at Michigan Medicine
“We are still seeing a lot of GI viruses causing vomiting and diarrhea, as well as some continued respiratory infections.”
Washtenaw County Health Department
“Influenza cases appear to be decreasing in Washtenaw County, however, influenza A continues to circulate locally. Additional flu waves are possible. In the past few weeks, several influenza-related deaths in Washtenaw County adults have been reported. The individuals were confirmed with influenza A. Flu-related hospitalizations of Washtenaw residents are still elevated, but are decreasing. Most influenza cases being reported in Washtenaw County are influenza A.”
Monroe County: COVID, RSV, influenza, strep throat, stomach viruses.
Macomb County: Stomach viruses, COVID, strep throat, sore throats, ear infections, upper respiratory infections
Dr. Ben Doerr -- Emergency physician at McLaren Macomb
“There has been an uptick in the number of gastroenteritis cases and symptoms of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. There has been a slight uptick in symptomatic cases of COVID-19, though patients were able to be treated and released home. The recent weather warm-up caused some issues for allergy sufferers, with some more severe cases resulting in bronchitis.”