Severe Flu Season Hits Western New York

BUFFALO,N.Y. – Doctors at Oishei Children’s Hospital say this flu season is shaping up to be one of the most severe thay’ve seen in years, with a sharp increase in pediatric cases across Western New York.

Hospital President Dr. Stephen J. Turkovich says nearly 380 children tested positive for the flu in just one week, bringing the highest weekly total the hospital has seen in at least four years.

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“So this year, it looks like it’s going to be one of the most severe flu seasons that we’ve seen in a while,” Turkovich said.”Last week,we had almost 380 positive children for the flu,which is the highest weekly total that we’ve seen in at least the last 4 years,if not longer. Sadly it continues to increase week over week.”

The surge is putting added pressure on the emergency department. Oishei typically sees about 130 children a day, but that number has jumped to around 175 daily visits, leading to longer wait times.

“The emergency room is certainly very busy,” Turkovich said. “So the wait times are a little bit longer, but we can manage the capacity.kids that are getting admitted, we certainly have room on the floor, so that’s good news.”