A record number of patients have flooded some Washington-area hospitals fearing they have contracted the swine flu, but there had been no confirmed cases of the disease as of Tuesday afternoon.
Takoma Park’s Washington Adventist Hospital has been averaging 20 extra emergency room patients a day since Friday, including a record-breaking 171 visitors Monday, according to a spokeswoman.
Many patients who were concerned they might have the swine flu complained of allergy symptoms, spokeswoman Lydia Parris said.
“There’s a lot of pollen in the air right now,” Parris said.
It was a similar scene at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, which had a record-breaking day Sunday, largely because of allergy suffers who thought they might have the swine flu, according to a spokeswoman.
Symptoms of swine flu include runny nose or nasal congestion, cough, sore throat and a fever higher than 100 degrees.
Two hospitals in suburban Virginia also saw an increase in ER visitors concerned about swine flu, according to a spokesman.
The virus has killed dozens in Mexico, infected more than 60 in five different states in the U.S. and has spread to several corners of the globe.
Hospital officials said that patients who are exhibiting flulike symptoms should try to consult with their personal physician before going to the emergency room.
Local governments have stepped up efforts to try to combat any potential outbreak of the disease, including establishing hot lines and starting public education campaigns to encourage people to wash their hands more often.
Metro officials said they were continuing a flu-season program of wiping down surfaces throughout the transit system with “hospital-grade disinfectant” because of the swine flu outbreak.
Metro trains and station equipment are disinfected daily, officials said, with buses disinfected at least every 14 days.
