Seasonal Flu: Flu influx causes Chicago hospitals to turn away patients

Editing is mine
January 8, 2013
Excerpt:
CBS Chicago reports that some local hospitals are turning away emergency room patients because they are flooded with patients who come in sickened by influenza.
The station reports University of Chicago, Northwestern and Swedish Covenant were among eight Chicago area hospitals directing ambulances elsewhere because they were treating so many patients with the flu. Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Ill., lifted its ambulance bypass order at 9 p.m. on Monday.

"We aren't seeing very sick people. We're just seeing more sick people," Mary Alice Lavin, director of infection, prevention and control with Rush University Medical Center, told CBS Chicago. "The viruses that were included in the vaccine this year are the ones that are circulating this year but studies have shown that the vaccine is only effective in 60 percent of people."
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In Illinois alone, 147 people have been admitted to intensive care units at hospitals, six of whom have died, Illinois Public Health Director Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck told CBS Chicago.

Full Article:  http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57562846/flu-influx-causes-chicago-hospitals-to-turn-away-patients/