(CBS):Two young mothers are among the latest victims of this season’s deadly flu outbreak. Tandy Harmon of Gersham, Oregon, and Karlie Illg Slaven of Hendricks County, Indiana, were both mothers of two. Their families said they were healthy adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the number of states with high levels of flu activity jumped from nine on December 16 to 32 on January 13.
As flu season gets worse, the costs are climbing
The aggressive flu season is causing all sorts of problems across the country. Hospitals like the Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center in Florida are being inundated with new patients and medicine to treat the flu is becoming harder to find. Beds are even being set up in conference rooms to accommodate all the new patients, reports CBS News’ Manuel Bojorquez.
“This is probably the worst flu season I’ve seen in the last ten years,” Dr. Jaime Snarski said.
She says the volume of new flu patients has put the Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center at full capacity.
“And for some reason these strains are hitting young healthy people a little bit harder than in past years, and I’m not quite sure we know why that is yet,” Snarski said.