WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — Flu cases across the DMV region are on the rise, and local emergency departments are reporting more patients coming in for flu and flu-like illness.
Doctors told DC News Now that they’re seeing more patients coming in with more serious illnesses in recent weeks.
“We’ve seen a very dramatic rise in some cases, much higher than what we would have expected from years past,” said Dr. Katie Byrd, chair of the emergency department at Medstar Georgetown Hospital. “The peak this year is happening a lot earlier, and it’s at least four times higher than what we saw at the same time last year. And ,of course, that coincides with the holiday season, so it’s made it pretty challenging to manage the surge this year.”
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Data from DC Health show 821 new confirmed flu cases in the District the week before last (week ending Dec. 27)…