Emergency rooms at hospitals in Syracuse, N.Y., have collectively been on diversion for more than 117 hours between Jan. 1 and Jan. 21, a nearly 9-fold increase from the same period in 2016, reports Syracuse.com
Max Berube, MD, director of the emergency department at Syracuse-based St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center, attributes the increase in ER diversion to the intense flu season hitting the nation this year.
The Onondaga County Health Department is advising people with flu-like symptoms to avoid ERs or urgent care centers unless their symptoms are severe.