Flu Season Strikes Late, Hospitals Filling Up

Several illnesses are spreading around Green Country. It's affecting schools, many children are absent because they're sick, and its filling hospitals with patients. All the hospitals around town

Friday, February 23rd 2007, 8:43 pm

By: News On 6

Several illnesses are spreading around Green Country. It's affecting schools, many children are absent because they're sick, and its filling hospitals with patients. All the hospitals around town are reporting high numbers of patients. News on 6 reporter Emory Bryan reports itâ€™s mainly flu and a stomach virus in adults, and pneumonia and RSV in children.

Tulsa's St. John Medical Center has been swamped with patients for the last two weeks, and the emergency room has been busy with patients coming in by ambulance. It's the same story all over town, lots of ambulance calls and lots of sick people.

At St. John's new Urgent Care patients have been coming in with vomiting and high fevers.

"The flu you feel so sick, you can't believe it's just the flu,â€ Registered Nurse Karin Hayes said. â€œBut I think people don't realize how sick you can be, but with a 104 temperature, you know the last time you had a fever like that how bad you feel, but you feel bad."

Nurse Hayes says the flu season seems to be peaking a little late. St. Francis reports a high number of patients, but nothing unusual for the peak of the flu season.