Flu cases spike in Missouri
The number of people showing up at hospitals with flu-like symptoms doubled this week, Missouri health officials said today.
Flu-like illnesses now represent about 4 percent of emergency room visits across Missouri, compared to 2 percent on a normal day. The increase was highest in southeast Missouri, where flu accounted for 14 percent of E.R. visits, according to the state’s Department of Health and Senior Services.
It’s notable that the spike occurred around the same time that students returned to schools, health officials said. Children and young adults have been particularly susceptible to the H1N1 virus, or swine flu. Nearly half the E.R. visits for flu were among children 5 to 17 years old.
Most people with swine flu have had mild symptoms and recover without medical treatment.
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EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! THERE IS AN EMERGENCY GOING ON SOMEWHERE! PLEASE DON’T PANIC UNLESS YOU ARE INSTRUCTED TO PANIC!