THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, December 27, 1995 TAG: 9512270075
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: MASON PETERS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 49 lines
An unusually large number of hospital emergency room visits were made over the Christmas weekend by coughing, groaning, and thoroughly miserable patients with respiratory complaints.
Albemarle Hospital in Elizabeth City, a reliable flu meter for northeastern North Carolina, reported more than twice the normal traffic of respiratory walk-in patients.
``The number of these patients is usually about 75 a day,'' said Bonnie McCrodden, a spokesperson for Albemarle Hospital. ``Now we're seeing 90 to 100 flu-like cases, and on Christmas Day 140 came in.''
McCrodden said there are 42 doctors and nurses on the Albemarle Hospital emergency room staff and ``every shift'' was kept busy over the weekend.
Dr. Jerry C. Pickrel, an Elizabeth City pathologist, said ``very few'' throat smears from symptomatic cases in the Albemarle had been cultured to determine what type of influenza virus was causing most of the illness this year.
New and infectious strains of the virus can mutate each year, and ``flu shots'' recommended by physicians are generally designed to be effective against the prevalent viral strain.
Chesapeake General Hospital, which frequently receives patients from the Outer Banks and Currituck County, also reported a run on headachey sneezers.
``In the emergency room we were absolutely slammed over the weekend,'' said Elaine Johnson, the ER charge nurse at Chesapeake General.
Mindy Hughes, Chesapeake General spokesperson, said that for the past four to five days the number of cases of flulike symptoms has been unusually large.
The prevailing flu strain has so far seemed to be less heavy-handed on Carolinians who live farther inland.
At Pitt County Memorial Hospital in Greenville, Pam Cope, nursing coordinator, said she ``hadn't noticed'' an unusual rush of upper-respiratory complaints in the emergency room.
Chowan Hospital in Edenton doesn't seem to be as busy with flu cases as others.
``This time of year we normally have a lot of patients with these symptoms,'' said Debra Spruill, nursing supervisor in Chowan Hospital emergency room. by CNB