NORFOLK, Va. — As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations once again surge, Virginia health leaders are urging people with mild illnesses to avoid visiting emergency rooms.
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA) said hospitals have experienced an influx of patients seeking emergency care for asymptomatic or relatively mild COVID-19 infections, as well as the flu or other seasonal illness.
The groups said unnecessary visits to hospital emergency departments place strain on hospitals and frontline clinicians and caregivers.
Most people who contract coronavirus can recover from their illness at home, and also seek primary care treatment and/or speak with their primary care provider.
The groups also advised against people showing up to the ER just to get tested for COVID-19.
Julian Walker with VHHA said the climb in COVID cases is far from over.
“The likelihood is that it will be several more weeks, with these case numbers and these hospitalization numbers, unfortunately trending upwards," Walker said.
Those who do have severe symptoms — significant difficulty breathing, intense chest pain, severe weakness or an elevated temperature — for several days, are encouraged to consider emergency treatment.
Sentara Healthcare shared a Facebook video echoing that message. Shane Squires, the emergency department manager at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, said people shouldn't come for mild symptoms or testing.
The message from VDH and VHHA came as Virginia broke the record of the highest reported new COVID-19 cases in a single day.
According to VDH's Thursday update, the state saw a jump of 13,500 new cases, which topped the pandemic record-setting 12,112 (set just the day before). More than 51,564 new infections have been documented since Christmas Eve.
The Virginia College of Emergency Physicians (VCEP), which represents emergency physicians in hospitals and clinics, called on Gov. Ralph Northam to once again declare a state of emergency and for public health officials to open more testing sites.
“I think it is going to get more out of hand because we are really just now beginning to see the impacts of so many people mingling and interacting," said Dr. Todd Parker, an emergency physician in Hampton Roads, and head of the VCEP.
The group said the declaration would allow the Commonwealth to provide disaster funding to support the response and increase staffing levels.
On Wednesday, Northam said the recent COVID-19 numbers were "a reason for concern, but not a reason for panic." He cited the high number of people who got vaccinated against COVID-19, and how those shots will keep people generally protected from serious illness amidst the spread of the omicron variant.
That's also something VDH and VHHA pointed out, saying that hospitalizations remain below the peak numbers encountered this time last year.
Virginia health officials are encouraging people to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
To learn more about doing that, visit vaccinate.virginia.gov, call 1-877-VAX-IN-VA or visit vaccines.gov.