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Flu outbreak forces Pennsylvania hospital to set up ER tent

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    Rick Leventhal reports from Allentown

  • Duration 2:28
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Your hands meanwhile the outbreak hitting Pennsylvania especially hard.

111000 cases already confirmed there an emergency rooms reaching near capacity.

There's one hospital Allentown PA.

Even forces set up a special tend to deal with the onslaught of patients.

Rick Leventhal was at that hospital -- more this morning sounds like things are getting worse in that state are they wreck.

They are -- the worst they say and at least five years and that's why Lehigh Lehigh Valley hospital acute aggressive set -- his mobile search -- The handle the overflow.

And trying to prevent the spread of the virus here at the hospital when patients arrive at the emergency room -- assessed.

If they have severe conditions there admitted to the hospital.

But if they have mild symptoms that redirected into the tent where they can be seen by doctors there.

The Pennsylvania department of health has designated this year's flu virus widespread.

That's the highest category here and they've seen a real spike in the number -- in the last couple of weeks.

4300.

Of the 111000 cases reported so far this season.

-- last week.

And eighteen at that point two statewide that's also occurred in the past week and they only update the numbers every Tuesday so things could've gotten worse.

In the past couple of days -- that trending in that direction.

We haven't reached the peak yet.

Mean and we don't know when that will be -- keep me -- -- the end of January maybe you know sometime in February.

On all we -- seeing with -- numbers since the numbers continue to rise we haven't peaked yet.

When that will happen you know.

That's nobody knows right now.

The majority of deaths in Pennsylvania are people over 6520 of the 22 but one of them was an infant who died here in the Lehigh Valley health network well what do doctors do to protect themselves -- Well all of the staff here get the flu vaccination doctors nurses attendance they all get back -- The vaccine and then they Wear masks in many cases when they're dealing with the the patients with flu symptoms and the patients are given maps as well and as you heard the doctors say the best advice for everyone has to wash your hands as frequently as possible.

And if you have flu like symptoms according to the doctors it's not necessarily a reason to go to the emergency room if you if you have fever coughing fatigue and sort -- -- -- thing.

The best thing you can do is stay home but obviously -- -- severe that's when you should make the trip Rick thanks Rick Leventhal replaces hard hit Allentown Pennsylvania.

Are.

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