Special to The Newport Daily News

As the crisp autumn air settles over Newport, so too does the annual respiratory illness season – bringing with it a surge in cases of flu, COVID-19, RSV and other viral infections.

A troubling start to the season

Newport Hospital’s Emergency Department is already seeing an uptick in respiratory illness cases – this comes on the heels of last year’s respiratory season, which was the worst in several years. During the 2024/2025 season, Rhode Island saw over 900 flu-related hospitalizations and more than 10,000 ED visits, the highest for the last five and seven years respectively. That represents more than the population of Tiverton. COVID-19 and RSV also contributed significantly to hospital admissions, with children under five being particularly vulnera

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