A packed waiting room and a record number of patients pretty much sums up this flu epidemic we are seeing across the nation and in central Alabama.
"[There are] So many patients that are sick and so many admissions to the hospital that we're holding record number of people in the emergency room; record number of people waiting in the lobby to be seen. You know it's just taking a long time so we are just begging the community to be patient with us," Baptist Medical Center East Emergency Room Head Nurse Carol Lanser said.
Lanser says from babies to the elderly, people are flooding in complaining of body aches, headaches, fatigue, coughing, runny nose, fever and even nausea.
"We've got nurse managers coming in on the weekend. We've got administrative people that are coming up. We are having to have extra everybody because it is so busy. It seems like it gets worse everyday," Lanser said.
She says if you have not received the flu shot yet, it's not too late. She says contrary to popular belief, getting the flu shot will not give you the flu.
"[The key] is the hand washing, get your flu shots. Do everything you can. I mean when you go back home, wipe down your door facing, your telephones. Remember all those things," Lanser said.
"this is the worst flu season I've seen in the last five or six years in Montgomery."
We reached out to the Alabama Department of Public Health for comment about the flu outbreak. We were told the spoke person Dr. McIntyre is out with the flu herself...so this just shows how big of an impact it is and how anyone can easily get the flu.
If you have the flu, doctors say stay at home or either wear a mask that completely covers your nose and mouth.
According to the Alabama Department of Public Health there are plenty of flu shot vaccines available.
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