Media Contact:
McHenry County Department of Health
Nick Kubiak, Community Information Coordinator

McHenry County Department of Health Releasing Weekly Respiratory Illness Surveillance Reports

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL – In its ongoing commitment to safeguarding the health and wellness of McHenry County residents, the McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) actively monitors respiratory illnesses. This includes general respiratory conditions, COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

The surveillance of respiratory illnesses is a year-round initiative, with a particular focus from Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Week 40 to 20 (approximately the first week in October to the end of the third week in May). This comprehensive approach involves the utilization of various data sources, including syndromic surveillance data, aggregate statistics from positive laboratory data for influenza, and the monitoring of influenza reportable conditions and long-term care facility (LTCF) clusters.

Each week’s report summary is presented in an easily understandable graphic. Utilizing the aforementioned surveillance indicators, each week’s report summary consists of five activity levels, with each level being given a value of ‘Low,’ ‘Medium,’ or ‘High.’ The five activity levels being reported include Respiratory Illness Activity, COVID-19 Activity, COVID-19 Hospital Admission Level, Influenza Activity, and RSV Activity.

To review the MCDH’s weekly respiratory illness surveillance reports for the current respiratory season, please visit bit.ly/MCDH-respiratory-surveillance.