Flu spread in Chicago decreases to ‘moderate’ level, health officials say

CHICAGO - The spread of the flu in Chicago has decreased to a moderate level, according to the Chicago Department of Public Health.

Last Friday, the city agency reported that indicators of flu activity had been in decline as of the end of February.

Moderate level of respiratory illness

What we know:

The overall level of acute respiratory illness activity in Chicago remained at moderate levels, according to the CDPH.

COVID-19 activity remained low.

RSV activity also remained low and was declining across all surveillance indicators.

By the numbers:

The number of emergency room visits and hospital admissions for flu were still at elevated levels for all age groups but were on the decline after peaking in late January. 

Admissions to the ICU were also on the decline.

While COVID-19 emergency room visits for COVID-19 among children age 5 and under were up over the past two weeks, overall ICU admissions have decreased slightly since last week.

Officials also noted that the CDC released its initial estimates of the effectiveness of this season’s flu vaccine. The federal health agency said this season’s flu and COVID-19 vaccines were effective in preventing serious illness, including hospitalization, in the U.S.

Still, flu and COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Chicago remains low. As of mid-January, less than a quarter of residents had received a flu shot, and less than 12% had received a COVID-19 shot.

For more information, visit the Chicago Department of Public Health's website.