Las Vegas ER and urgent care providers report rising flu and COVID-19 cases as Nevada flu trend climbs

What happened

Healthcare providers in Southern Nevada are seeing more patients with flu and COVID-19, KTNV reported. The increase is raising concerns for residents about missed work, sick relatives and knowing when a trip to the hospital is needed.

The provider reports come as state data showed Nevada's flu activity was low but growing in the week ending Oct. 10, according to KTNV.

What local providers are seeing

Emergency rooms

Dr. Daniel Golden, medical director at West Craig ER with the Valley Health System, told KTNV that flu and COVID-19 cases at the emergency departments he described doubled from August to September. He said cases rose again in October.

"We've already seen doubling of the number of cases, and now going into October, we're seeing an even larger increase," Golden told KTNV. The station noted that his comparison reflects his account of activity at his ERs, not a doubling of cases across the county or state.

Urgent care clinics

CareNow also reported elevated flu cases across its 21 clinics, KTNV reported. A spokesperson said the clinics were seeing flu every day.

What the state numbers show

Nevada's report for the week ending Oct. 10 counted 201 flu-related emergency department visits in Clark County, out of 311 statewide, according to KTNV. Flu made up 0.7% of emergency department visits in Nevada that week.

The state classified flu activity as low, though the trend was growing. KTNV noted that those figures cover flu only and do not include COVID-19 or other respiratory illnesses.

When to seek emergency care

Warning signs

Golden told KTNV that people should go to an emergency department if their symptoms are getting worse and come with chest pain, significant shortness of breath, an inability to keep down food or liquids, or confusion.

Protecting vulnerable people

Golden also advised people with respiratory symptoms to stay away from close contact with those most at risk of serious illness. He named older adults and people with weakened immune systems as examples.

How residents are responding

Danny Springfield told KTNV he had just picked up his sick wife from work and was on his way to get her something to eat, such as soup. He said illness had been moving through his household on and off for a while and the family assumed it was the flu, though he did not cite a confirmed diagnosis.

Springfield said he was surprised to hear COVID-19 cases were rising. "I didn't know that COVID was coming back up," he told KTNV. Another resident, Carlos Filoteo, told the station he wears a mask when he is around other people.

For more coverage of health and daily life across the valley, see our community news section.

What to watch next

• Whether Nevada's weekly flu reports continue to show a growing trend after the state classified activity as low but rising for the week ending Oct. 10.
• Whether Clark County continues to account for most of Nevada's flu-related emergency department visits, as it did with 201 of 311 that week.
• Whether the October increase in flu and COVID-19 cases that Golden described at his ERs continues.