By Fernanda Galan
The Fresno Bee
FRESNO, Calif. — A quartet of illnesses is “overwhelming and overloading” Fresno -area emergency rooms as respiratory virus season reaches its peak in California, medical experts said.
“Community Health System is currently experiencing high patient numbers that are stretching our emergency department capacity at Clovis Community Medical Center as well as Community Regional Medical Center in downtown Fresno,” the health care company said in a statement released on Monday, Jan 24.
Medical professionals usually treat about 330 patients a day at Community Regional Medical Center, according to Dr. Thomas Utecht, an emergency medicine physician at the Fresno hospital.
Staff are currently seeing about 400 patients each day, Utecht said Monday, an increase of 17.5%.
Why are local hospitals seeing an increase in emergency room visits? What’s sickening Fresno -area residents?
The Fresno Bee spoke with Utecht and Dr. Kenny Banh, professor of clinical emergency medicine at University of California, San Francisco, to find out the answers.
Which viruses are circulating in Fresno area?
“There are basically four major viruses (that) ... are leading to a lot of the infections affecting Fresno -area residents,” Banh said.
According to Banh, three of those viruses are respiratory: COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus.
Locals are also dealing with norovirus, he said.
Also known as the stomach flu, it’s a “very contagious” virus that causes acute gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach or intestines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
An increase in cases involving these viruses — dubbed the “quad-demic” by medical experts — is responsible for the influx of patients in Fresno -area emergency rooms.
“It’s a mixture of everything coming in, and it’s overwhelming and overloading some of the emergency departments,” Banh said, leading to an increase in patient visits and “a lot of backlog for people being seen.”
Which illnesses are hitting Fresno County the hardest?
According to Banh, the virus that is hitting Fresno-area residents the hardest is the flu, followed by RSV and COVID-19.
Who’s at highest risk of hospitalization?
“The ones who really are getting sick are really the younger (children) and the oldest (adults),”said Banh, who’s assistant dean of undergraduate medical education at UC San Francisco Fresno. “(They’re) really coming in with significant diseases.”
Children under six months old are particularly vulnerable to RSV, he added, as are premature infants or those with underlying lung issues.
“That can be potentially very threatening and high risk,” Banh said, leading to a lot of hospitalizations for newborns and young infants.
The flu doesn’t discriminate when it comes to age, according to Banh.
“You see everybody come in with the flu symptoms, ... feeling terrible with high fevers and chills,” he said.
Why are we seeing a spike in cases now?
According to Utecht, it’s normal to see a spike in patients at this time of year.
“During the winter months when respiratory viruses are circulating, we often see an increase in patients coming into our emergency department,” said Utecht, Community Health System’s chief medical officer.
Banh noted that “tons of social gathering” happened during the holiday season that includes Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
“That’s caused a lot of spike of spread of these diseases,” he said.
What does increase in patients mean for local hospitals?
According to Utecht, local hospitals “have noticed patients coming in have more severe symptoms, slowing our ability to discharge them,” Utecht said. “If more patients are coming through our doors than are leaving, it creates a huge internal traffic jam.”
Utecht said Community Health System “is working with other health care agencies to address our capacity challenges.”
“This includes working with our patients and their families to make sure they have everything they need to safely be discharged from the hospital,” he explained.
Should I go to the emergency room if I’m sick?
Some patients turn up at emergency rooms with “mild or moderate” symptoms, according to Banh.
“We want the ERs to be available for those who are really sick, those who have significant and severe symptoms, those who are having trouble breathing,” Banh said.
If you need medical attention but aren’t dealing with a medical emergency, you should see your doctor or seek out an urgent care clinic, he said.
“Try to seek alternatives before calling 911, and coming into the emergency department directly,” Banh said.
What are common flu symptoms?
“Many respiratory viruses, including influenza, RSV and COVID-19, can cause cold-like symptoms,” the California Department of Public Health told The Sacramento Bee in 2024.
According to the CDC, common flu symptoms include:
- Fever or feeling feverish/ chills
- Cough
- Sore Throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Muscles or body aches
- Headaches
- Fatigue (tiredness)
Symptoms usually appear suddenly for those with the flu, the CDC said, while COVID-19 symptoms may appear two to 14 days after exposure to the virus.
How can I keep from getting sick?
There are a few ways to prevent diseases during peak respiratory virus season, according to Banh.
Wearing a face mask in public can help protect you against the flu, RSV and COVID-19, according to Dr. Dean Blumberg, chief of UC Davis Health’s Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases.
“We saw really low rates of influenza when people were social distancing and masking because of COVID,” he said.
According to the CDC , other ways to avoid getting sick or sickening others include:
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it
- Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
You should also get vaccinated against the flu and COVID-19, Banh said.
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