Los Angeles and Other Major Metropolitan Area ER Rooms are Busy with Patients Fearing Flu

As of today, the status of the flu has not been changed so we are still as listed yesterday. Awareness and concern is rising as indicated by the additional visits to the ER. The picture below shows Loma Linda putting up a “tent” to handle the over flow of patients. Loma Linda is a pretty large facility to begin with, so this might give you an idea of the influx of patients. BD

The Los Angles Times also has a map whereby you can view current virus activity.

At Loma Linda University Medical Center near San Bernardino, emergency room workers have set up a tent in the parking lot to handle a crush of similar patients. In Chicago, ER visits at the city's biggest children's hospital are double normal levels, setting records at the 121-year-old institution.

Hospitals have increased their supplies of staples such as face masks, and many have trained employees to care for patients out in the field.
In the last three years, California has spent more than $400 million to upgrade its readiness, including purchasing three fully equipped mobile hospitals and nearly 7,200 ventilators to respond to an outbreak of respiratory illness.

In Los Angeles, several hospitals are also reporting increased numbers of patients in their emergency rooms, though the surge hasn't caused hospitals to begin diverting other patients, said Cathy Chidester, director of Los Angeles County's Emergency Medical Services Agency.