City of Racine
Respiratory Illness Data Dashboard
About the Data Dashboard
Respiratory illnesses remain an important public health concern, affecting individuals, families, and the community. This dashboard helps residents stay informed about respiratory illness trends while providing access to prevention resources and health information. Explore the Respiratory Illness Dashboard to view trends in respiratory illnesses in the City of Racine. Use the filters on the dashboard to get more in-depth information.
Data Collection and Navigation
The Respiratory Illness Dashboard includes several pages displaying data relating to hospitalization for the City of Racine and emergency room visits related to COVID-19, influenza (flu), and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). All data presented in the dashboard has been de-identified to protect patient privacy. The dashboard is designed to provide the public with easy access to current respiratory illness trends in the City of Racine, helping residents stay informed and better understand available resources.
Hospitalization data for the City of Racine was sourced from the Wisconsin Electronic Disease Surveillance System (WEDSS) using the Public Health Analysis Visualization and Reporting (PHAVR) tool. The dataset includes only aggregated counts of hospitalizations within the City of Racine jurisdiction.
Emergency room visit data was obtained from the Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community-based Epidemics (ESSENCE). When a patient visits an emergency department, a diagnosis is recorded prior to discharge, allowing ESSENCE to visualize and monitor trends in selected respiratory illnesses using emergency room data.
Syndromic and ESSENCE data
The Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community-Based Epidemics (ESSENCE) is a secure, web-based platform that uses syndromic surveillance data to help public health professionals monitor health trends and identify potential public health concerns, including disease outbreaks, severe weather impacts, and substance-related emergencies. Through near real-time emergency department data from the National Syndromic Surveillance Program (NSSP), ESSENCE provides valuable insight into emerging health patterns within our community.
This dashboard uses patient ZIP code data to monitor and map emergency department visit trends in the City of Racine. Weekly emergency department visits are displayed as the percentage of total visits by patient ZIP code: 53402, 53403, 53404, 53405, and 53406. While these ZIP codes extend beyond the city’s boundaries, they provide a reliable representation of health trends affecting Racine residents.
By providing timely and actionable data, this dashboard improves understanding of respiratory illness trends and supports public health efforts through prevention, education, vaccination awareness, and community outreach.
DASHBOARD HERE…MAYBE
What are Respiratory Illnesses?
Getting sick from respiratory illnesses is very common. In recent years, the CDC has estimated that approximately one million people are hospitalized and more than 70,000 people die annually due to respiratory viruses. This dashboard focuses on three major respiratory illnesses: COVID-19, Influenza (flu), and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). All three are highly contagious and can spread easily from person to person.
Some of the symptoms associated with these respiratory viruses are:
- Runny or stuffy nose
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Cough
- Fever
- Chills
- Muscle or body aches
- Weakness or fatigue
- Chills
Although some individuals infected with these respiratory viruses may experience no symptoms, it is always important to remain vigilant and take precautions if you or a close family member develop any new symptoms.
Ways to prevent Respiratory Illness
There are multiple ways that residents and community members can help prevent the spread of respiratory illness and infections. These are a few ways that you can stay protected and protect your loved ones:
- Staying up to date on your vaccinations/immunizations. Talking to your healthcare provider for the proper recommendations.
- Practicing good hand hygiene and cleaning commonly touched surfaces.
- If sick, stay home and away from others to prevent others from getting sick. Seek healthcare for treatment if you have risk factors for severe illness, to help reduce the risk of severe illness.
- Wearing a mask
- Physical distancing
- Getting tested
All of these steps help reduce the risk of getting sick and prevent the spread of illness to loved ones and others in our community. By taking simple preventative actions, we can protect ourselves, support vulnerable populations, and contribute to a healthier community overall.
Other Important Links and Resources
If you have questions or would like more information
PublicHealth@cityofracine.org
262-636-9431
Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
