PHSD Launches Respiratory Illness Surveillance Dashboard

A local health unit's launched a new tool to help residents keep an eye on local activity levels of respiratory illness.

Public Health Sudbury and Districts has unveiled the "Respiratory Illness Surveillance Dashboard" for Sudbury and districts, to provide information about cases, hospitalizations, and outbreaks of COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) as well as COVID-19 detected in local wastewater - it'll be updated weekly, by 4 o'clock Tuesday afternoon, except on statutory holidays.

The health unit's still updating COVID-19 data three times a week - usually late Monday, Wednesday, and Friday - with case epidemiology and vaccination updates Wednesdays.

Medical Officer of Health Dr. Penny Sutcliffe notes "increasing activity levels of seasonal respiratory illnesses", with the combination of cooler temperatures and more time spent indoors creating "ideal conditions for the spread" of infections.