Senior living alert: Respiratory illness rates are high

If it seems like a lot of colleagues and family members are sick, that’s because they are! There are three viruses causing a lot of the illness today: influenza (flu), COVID-19, and RSV.

Influenza-like illness

Just over 4% of doctor’s office visits are due to respiratory illness, and that figure is decreasing. On the chart below, this year is the red line (with circles), and this data is through the first few weeks of 2024. Many hospitals are now full, in part due to flu.

This year’s flu vaccine is very effective (lowering the risk of hospitalization by 47%), and it’s not too late to get vaccinated!

Percentage of Outpatient Visits for Respiratory Illness Reported by The U.S. Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network (ILINet), Weekly National Summary, 2023-24 Season and Selected Previous Season

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Portion of Outpatient Visits Due to Respiratory Illness

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, January 20, 2024. The red arrow is the third week of 2024.

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Portion of Outpatient Visits Due to Respiratory Illness

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, January 20, 2024. The red arrow is the third week of 2024.

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COVID-19

The wastewater level of the virus that causes COVID-19 are very high, with the most activity in the south of the U.S.

But thankfully COVID-19 hospitalizations are just starting to decrease - they were just over 26,000 at the most recent week recorded.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)

RSV infections cause cold-like symptoms. Often these are mild, but for infants and older adults (> age 60 years), it can cause more serious illness requiring hospitalization. Currently, the US is likely at or nearly after the peak of cases for this season.

At the same time, national vaccination rates remain low:

• Influenza 46.7% Source
• COVID-19 17% Source
• RSV (over 60) 17% Source

Implications for senior living facilities:

• The rate of respiratory infections is high; travel and gatherings during the holiday week generally have lead to higher rates of infection now.
• Vaccination is available against influenza and COVID-19 for all, and for RSV for those ages 60 and over.
• Employers can expect to see more absences from respiratory illnesses and should encourage employees not to come to the workplace if they are sick.
• Workplaces should be “mask friendly,” as many employees might be at higher risk or live with those at higher risk.

Disclaimer

Willis Towers Watson hopes you found the general information provided in this publication informative and helpful. The information contained herein is not intended to constitute legal or other professional advice and should not be relied upon in lieu of consultation with your own legal advisors. In the event you would like more information regarding your insurance coverage, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. In North America, Willis Towers Watson offers insurance products through licensed entities, including Willis Towers Watson Northeast, Inc. (in the United States) and Willis Canada Inc. (in Canada).

Authors

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Patricia Toro, MD

Senior Director, Health Management

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Rhonda DeMeno

Senior Vice President Risk Services - Senior Living

email Email phone +1 312 288 7704

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