The San Diego-Union Tribune reported Friday that overflow tents were set up at Scripps Memorial Hospital in Encinitas, Jacobs Medical Center at UC San Diego Health in La Jolla and Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa to deal with a surge in respiratory illnesses. Scripps Hospitals and Clinics reported 1,695 positive flu tests as of Sept. 1, up from 471 during the same period a year ago. A patient receives a dose of vaccine during a flu vaccination campaign. (Nicolas Maeterlinck/Belga/AFP via Getty Images) The move comes amid an increase in flu symptoms in emergency room patients in San Diego County. About 9 percent of those patients experienced flu symptoms in the past week, up from 7 percent two weeks ago, according to a county report. The San Diego-Union Tribune also noted an increase in patients with COVID-19 symptoms, though not as quickly, according to the county’s weekly respiratory disease report. EARLY, SURPRISING RSV INCREASE IN CHILDREN HAS HOSPITALS, MEDICAL CENTERS TARGETED “The fear is that everything bounces off of everything else, and once you get past the flu, you could still get hit with COVID or whatever virus you’re going to get,” said Dr. Ghazala Sharieff, Scripps Health. chief physician of acute care interventions and clinical excellence. “I’m optimistic, but we still plan that it will be like this until February,” Shariev said. A pharmacist administers a free flu shot to a customer at a CVS Health Corp. pharmacy. in Miami, Florida, USA, on Wednesday, September 30, 2020. CVS Health Corp. said this month that it expects to vaccinate up to 18 million people. (Photo: Marco Bello/Bloomberg via Getty Images) In general, the flu hits hardest from late December to February. The southern hemisphere also experienced an earlier than usual flu season. Flu positivity rates in Chile reached epidemic levels as early as January, several months earlier than usual. PEDIATRIC AMOXICILLIN IS IN SHORT SUPPLY, FDA SAYS Health experts said it was not immediately clear whether flu cases would reach an earlier than usual peak in California, which typically sees the bulk of cases from December to February, or a prolonged flu season. Nurses prepare flu shots during a flu shot clinic at Dorchester House, a health care clinic, in Boston, Massachusetts. (Reuters/Brian Snyder) Much of the United States is seeing a fast start to flu season. Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said more cases of the flu have been reported than typically expected at this time. JUST 2 OMICRON SUBSCRIBERS ACCOUNT FOR 44% OF ALL COVID CASES On Friday, the CDC reported that flu and similar viral illnesses are particularly high in Georgia, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Washington, D.C. “Early increases in seasonal flu activity continue nationwide. The southeast and south-central regions of the country are reporting the highest levels of activity followed by the Mid-Atlantic and south-central West Coast regions.” the CDC said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Most of these are influenza A, specifically a strain called H3N2. While any version of the flu can be dangerous in vulnerable populations, this strain is known to cause more serious illness. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Sarah Rumpf is a digital production assistant at Fox News. You can reach her on Twitter at @rumpfsarahc
