BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Local health officials are sounding the alarm about what they're calling the worst outbreak of the flu in 25 years, which is now putting unprecedented strain on emergency rooms across Erie County.
Emergency rooms say they are jammed and overwhelmed with patients waiting for care. Ambulance services are being delayed for other emergency calls as the healthcare system struggles to keep up with demand.
"Our hospital system and our ambulance system can't handle the surge," said Dr. Gale Burstein, Erie County Health Commissioner.
Burstein said people who go to emergency rooms for non-emergency issues will face long wait times due to the surge of flu and respiratory illness cases.
"Our emergency departments and ambulance services are really overwhelmed right now. I mean, we have these very high incidences of influenza cases, and then on top of that, there's everything else that the ambulances respond to and then the emergency department sees," said Burstein.
WATCH: 'Can't handle the surge': Erie County health officials report surge for ambulance, ER services
"It's a bad flu. People are sick. However, they are not ambulance hospital sick," said Gregory Gill, Deputy County Health Commissioner of EMS.
I met with Gill to discuss the ambulance situation. He tells me ambulances normally have a 20 to 30 minute turnaround time at hospitals, but they're now being held for two to three hours.
"Once the ambulance is pulled out of service for three hours, that's two to three calls they could not have made," said Gill.
"So, it sounds like when you do that, it causes this huge domino effect?" I questioned.
"Exactly. Backs right up through the system," responded Gill.
Gill also dispelled a common misconception about emergency room treatment.
"There's a misnomer out there that if you go into a hospital by ambulance, you're going to be moved ahead in the line. It doesn't happen. The hospital's triage is based on the severity of the patient," said Gill. "That's who's next."
Dr. Samuel Cloud, ECMC's Chief Medical Officer, said the current outbreak is unprecedented in his experience.
"I've been practicing emergency medicine for 25 years, and this is the worst number of flu cases and positive hospitalizations in my entire career," said Cloud.
Cloud explained when people should seek emergency care for flu symptoms:
"If you're starting to feel very short of breath, if you're having very, very high fevers above 103 as an adult, if you're feeling extremely weak or lethargic, then you absolutely should come to the emergency department if you think you have influenza."
If it is a non-emergency, you are urged to contact your doctor, try telehealth or go to an urgent care center.
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