June 04, 2010 02:20am EST 

Health officials across the country are asking the public to stay away from the hospital if they believe they have the H1N1 flu virus.
In Washington state, at the St. John Medical Center, the hospital has seen an sharp spike of people showing up at emergency rooms with the hopes of being tested for the virus. Earlier this week, at least 30 people visited the hospital emergency room with flu-like symptoms and wanted a H1N1 test.
Although, county health officials have said that hospitals do not test for H1N1 unless the patient is severely ill, reports of patients being rejected anti-viral medications at hospitals, either because their symptoms are not severe enough or they do not fall into the high-risk group, and then succumbing to the illness days later has hospitals wringing their hands over what to do.
Concerned patients overburdening hospitals has become a common scenario across the country.
In the Dallas-Ft. Worth area of Texas, where current flu activity has been classified as “widespread” by the health department, the highest category, clinics such as First Choice Emergency Room have set up tent cities outside of hospitals, specifically for those with flu symptoms, to ease the burden on area hospitals. In addition, hospitals have set up quarantined areas for those seeking help for flu-like symptoms. This includes separate waiting areas within the hospital in addition to quarantining high-risk groups, such as pregnant women coming in for routine pre-natal care, away from patients being treated for the flu.
Health officials have advised patients to “try to take care of themselves”. For people who are generally healthy, without any underlying illnesses such as asthma, avoid rushing to the hospital and just get more rest for a few days while taking in additional clear fluids.
Another problem has been the increase of people showing up to hospitals requesting anti-viral medications, such as Tamiflu, but these medications are in short supply at hospitals and, typically, are reserved for those most at risk for developing complications. This group is comprised of children under 5 and adults older than 65 years old, in addition to, patients suffering from chronic diseases such as asthma or diabetes.
Hospitals are not trying to discourage people from visiting emergency rooms if they are severely sick, but they suggest consulting a doctor first if they believe they have the H1N1 flu virus.
Vaccinations for both H1N1 and the seasonal flu should become available within the month. The federal government has taken an approach that focuses on frequency, by shipping out vaccines as soon as they are available, rather than stockpiling vaccines and sending them out to hospitals and clinics in bulk.
Here are some tips for deciding whether or not you need to go to the hospital:
- Go to the hospital if you experience fast breathing or troubled breathing
- Go to the hospital if your skin becomes bluish or grayish.
- Go to the hospital if you are unable to drink enough fluids to stay hydrated. You can be put on an IV.
- Go to the hospital if you experience severe or persistent vomiting.
- Go to the hospital if you or someone you know becomes unresponsive or have trouble waking up
- Go to the hospital if a child is being extremely irritable (e.g. not wanting to be held)
- Go to the hospital if you experience flu-like symptoms that reside then return with a fever and/or cough.