Royal Oak Doctors Report Current Illness Trends

Royal Oak-area doctors are reporting a mix of respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses as May turns to June, even as statewide respiratory virus activity remains low. Royal Oak Pediatrics in neighboring Huntington Woods says it is “currently seeing cases of bronchiolitis,” a viral illness sometimes caused by RSV, and continues to flag coughs, colds and upper respiratory infections on its current illness page. Michigan’s respiratory illness dashboard, last updated May 29, shows the state is still tracking emergency department visits and hospital admissions tied to COVID-19, influenza and RSV. Oakland County also maintains public guidance on norovirus, a common cause of vomiting and diarrhea. ### Which illnesses are local doctors saying they are seeing? Royal Oak Pediatrics says it is currently seeing bronchiolitis, often linked to RSV in young children, along with coughs, colds and other upper respiratory infections. The practice says bronchiolitis occurs most often in children under 2 and can begin with a runny nose, fever and a harsh cough before progressing to wheezing or labored breathing. In Oakland County more broadly, Detroit-area physicians have also described a mix of stomach viruses, influenza, COVID-19, upper respiratory infections and RSV cases in recent weekly check-ins with local media. In a Metro Detroit roundup published Feb. 20, physicians in Oakland County and nearby communities said they were seeing influenza, stomach viruses, asthma flare-ups, COVID, strep throat and upper respiratory infections, with one pediatric emergency physician saying RSV was “slowly rising.” (royaloakpediatrics.com) ### How does that compare with the wider Michigan picture? The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says its respiratory illness dashboard provides seasonal data on emergency department visits and hospital admissions associated with COVID-19, influenza and RSV, with updates scheduled weekly by Thursday. The state page also notes that immunization data became temporarily unavailable beginning June 1, 2026, during a transition of the Michigan Care Improvement Registry, with access expected to resume in mid-August. (clickondetroit.com) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on May 29 that acute respiratory illness causing people to seek health care was “very low” nationally and that COVID-19, RSV and seasonal influenza activity were low in most areas of the country. The CDC page says Michigan data in that update ran through May 23. That means local clinics can still be seeing clusters of routine seasonal illness even while statewide and national indicators remain subdued. (michigan.gov) ### Why are children and older adults mentioned so often in these updates? Royal Oak Pediatrics says bronchiolitis and RSV are most common in very young children, especially infants and toddlers, and advises families to seek care if breathing becomes labored. The clinic also notes that severe or persistent cough can be associated with asthma, pneumonia, sinus infections and bronchiolitis. (cdc.gov) The CDC says RSV vaccination is recommended as a single dose for all adults 75 and older and for adults 50 to 74 who are at increased risk of severe RSV illness. The agency says those higher-risk groups include people with chronic heart or lung disease, weakened immune systems and some other underlying conditions, as well as nursing home residents. ### What are doctors and public health agencies telling people to do? (royaloakpediatrics.com) Oakland County says hand washing with soap and warm water is the most important step to prevent norovirus infection. The county says people with norovirus should drink fluids to avoid dehydration and that most recover after about 72 hours. The CDC says people sick with norovirus should not prepare food or care for others and should wait at least 48 hours after symptoms stop before resuming those activities. (cdc.gov) Michigan’s norovirus guidance for child settings and health care facilities similarly says children and staff with symptoms should stay home until 48 hours after symptoms are resolved. ### Where can Royal Oak residents check updated information? (oakgov.com) Michigan posts respiratory disease updates on its online dashboard, which the state says is refreshed once a week by Thursday. Oakland County’s health department calendar says residents can call Nurse on Call at 1-800-848-5533 with questions about clinic services. Royal Oak Pediatrics also keeps a “What’s Going Around” page for families monitoring current pediatric illnesses. (michigan.gov) (cdc.gov)