DETROIT – Emergency rooms and community-based clinics across metro Detroit are seeing a sharp rise in flu cases, putting added pressure on local health systems and staff.
At Epic Health Systems, which operates several community clinics in the region, providers say they are treating significantly more patients for flu and flu-like illnesses than usual.
“We’re just seeing a lot more people,” said Dr. Norah Duncan of Epic Health Systems.
Dr. Duncan says this flu season has been especially concerning because of who is getting sick -- and how sick they are becoming.
“This season, we are definitely seeing a lot of young people. Kids. People who we usually think are safe from complications of illnesses in the hospital, dying,” Duncan said.
While flu has always been a serious respiratory illness, Duncan notes that complications like pneumonia, hospitalizations, and even deaths are very real risks -- and are being seen in local clinics and hospitals right now.
“Nobody likes to be sick, but we really get concerned when the illness that people have leads to more serious complications, hospitalizations, deaths, and unfortunately, those are things that we see with the flu,” she said.
The surge isn’t just affecting patients. It’s also impacting the staff who care for them.
District Manager Cora Fitzpatrick says some Epic Health clinic workers have also been hit by respiratory illness, complicating efforts to keep up with demand.
“We had to do a really large restock in all of our flu vaccines for each one of our locations, to make sure we’re in preparations for our surge,” Fitzpatrick said. “Definitely, it hit us hard.”
Health care workers admit many clinics did not anticipate just how dramatic the increase in local flu cases would be this season, forcing them to pivot quickly — from staffing and scheduling to vaccine supply and patient flow.
Epic Health leaders say their dual focus right now is treatment for those who are sick and prevention for those who are not.
They stress that it is not too late to get a flu shot.
“I think if you’re in the flu season, it’s always good to get the flu shot,” Dr. Duncan said. “Some people are concerned because the flu shot isn’t 100 percent effective. But we do still see that when you get the flu shot, you are less likely to have a complication. You are less likely to be hospitalized. You are less likely to die. So, it’s definitely still worth it to do that.”
Flu vaccines, Duncan emphasized, remain one of the most important tools to reduce severe illness and ease the burden on hospitals and clinics.
Doctors also urge anyone feeling unwell to seek medical care promptly, even if symptoms seem mild at first.
“If you feel sick, you should go to your doctor. And we have a lot of Epic Health locations in this area,” Duncan said.
Early evaluation can help patients get appropriate treatment quickly, reduce the risk of serious complications, and help prevent further spread of the flu in the community.
For more information about Epic Health and its locations, click here.