Local medical facilities worked overtime on Sunday as more potential flu patients filled up waiting rooms. Meanwhile, one local physician said there are three reasons why this is one of the worst flu seasons in decades.
JPS Health Network held extended hours at six clinics. It has seen 145 patients since Thursday night. JPS Health Network activated emergency response procedures late last week, because of the high amount of flu patients.
Baylor Medical Center in Dallas is on code yellow as well to streamline resources. And doctors remained very busy trying to keep up with the amount of patients coming down with the flu.
There have now been a total of 50 flu-related deaths across North Texas this season.
“This is one of the top two or three years in my 30 years of practice,” said Family Physician Richard Honaker.
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Dr. Honaker says they are seeing some things this time around, that they haven't in the past.
“I have never seen a case of [Influenza] Type A followed by Type B right off," said Dr. Honaker. "The immune system should kick in with Type A so you don’t get Type B, and this year we are seeing people in my office who have Type A and two or three weeks later they have type B.”
And that is just one of the unusual things he is seeing this round. Honaker adds they are seeing healthy people with no underlying illnesses getting a bad case, and flu without a high fever.
“The problem there is if you don’t have the fever and you don’t feel that bad, you don’t get diagnosed as early and you spread it to other people who may get real sick with it,” he added.
