Swine flu: Things get tents in Austin

In what some experts think may be a harbinger of things to come this fall, officials of Dell Children's Medical Center in Austin have set up tents outside the hospital to accommodate the crush of patients flooding the emergency room with symptoms of the pandemic H1N1 virus, according to the Austin American-Statesman.

The two tents, which can accommodate eight to 16 beds apiece, were to be air-conditioned today.

According to the article, the hospital was on pace for an all-time record high in patients on Monday with 200 appearing before 3 p.m. That hour usually marks the beginning of the hospital's busy period because it is when school lets out. On Sunday, 343 patients swamped the emergency room. About 10 to 15 of the ER nurses are also out sick with influenza-like illness.

-- Thomas H. Maugh II

Comments

[RP]

Do we have a count of how many of these patients went to there owh physicians before rushing to the hospital?

[Forextrading]

This is getting kind of scary. Is it true that if you contract the Swine Flu the symptoms are not that much different from the regular flu? At this rate everyone will most likely get it before this flu season is done. Good Luck and try to stay healthy.
http://www.forextradingadvisory.com

[Lois Klein, R.N., P.H.N.]

It's important when reporting statistics, to present all the information. Stating how many health care workers were in the ER, would have made the stat of 10-15 of them ill with H1N1 more relevant by allowing the % of nurses, and other staff in the ER affected, to be known. Also knowing that 343 patients were seen on Sunday would be more impressive if the usual number of those seen on other Sundays was also given.....