As snowbirds and seasonal visitors arrive in Southwest Florida, so has an influx of respiratory illnesses and the result is crowded emergency departments.
Lee Health reminds everyone that there are options to the ER if an illness or condition is not life-threatening.
“We’re seeing a rise of flu, COVID-19 and RSV,” said Lee Memorial Hospital Emergency Department Director Marcie Stidams. Right now the system is at high capacity and anticipates continuing as such throughout the snowbird season.
Among options for avoiding the emergency room, outlined by Dr. Iahn Gonsenhauser, chief medical officer for Lee Health, are:
- Contact your primary care physician.
- Start at leehealth.org, where clicking on “wait times” will start a short process of checking on urgent care or emergency room options in your area.
- Use Lee Health telehealth services, which are available through a provider 24 hours a day from a phone, computer or tablet.
- Use the closest Lee Convenient Care.
- Use mobile care through DispatchHealth. (For more information, go to dispatchhealth.com)
- For kids, use the Lee Health Kids Urgent Care at Golisano Children’s Hospital.
- Use mychart (mychart.leememorial.org) to track your visits and communicate with your provider.
Remember basics too, Gonsenhauser stressed, such as frequent handwashing, using hand sanitizer, asking your doctor about possible vaccines, wearing a mask if you're unwell and staying home if you are experiencing symptoms.
Speculating on why the rise in flu and respiratory illnesses lately, Gonsenhauser said the uptick is seasonal and also may reflect fewer people getting vaccinated for flu.
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