(WSIL) -- The surge in COVID-19 cases across Illinois is a sign of things to come, according to a doctor with Shawnee Health Care.
Dr. Jeff Ripperda, M.D., says SHC saw a noticeable spike in cases this week. At his family physician practice in Murphysboro, Dr. Ripperda recorded 30 to 40 cases on Tuesday alone.
Illinois has recorded cases of Omicron, but Ripperda says the state told him the Delta variant remains the area's most dominant COVID-19 strain. Ripperda says most people who get Omicron don't experience symptoms until two days later.
Omicron and Delta variants share similar symptoms, according to Ripperda. He suggests patients get tested as soon as they sense symptoms like a hard cough or sinus infection.
"It can be a little bit tricky. So I would just encourage people to not blow those symptoms off," Ripperda said. "You don't have to feel terrible to have COVID."
Ripperda says the Omicron variant may be less lethal than the Delta variant, but it spreads faster. So as the number of Omicron cases go up, the small percentage of COVID deaths begin to add up according to Ripperda.
Ripperda fears the case surge could extend a backlog of non-COVID related surgeries and strain employees further.
Ripperda says the surge last summer and last winter put a strain on hospital staff. He says he's had to send critical care patients as far as Evansville, Indiana because they had the closest hospital with an open bed.
"I hate having to do that. I didn't devote years of my life of training, hours of practice to try and provide sub-optimal medical care," Ripperda said. "I like being able to give people the care they need when they need it."
Ripperda predicts a surge of cases in January and February.