The worst could still be ahead for flu season in Maine, with swamped emergency rooms in Portland sending patients elsewhere and health officials trying to take advantage of the flu's typically late arrival to the state, according to an article on the Bangor Daily News website.
Inpatients with flu are sometimes paired up in double rooms instead of in private rooms, and some beds in specialty areas, such as outpatient surgery, have been called into use to handle the overload.
Some facilities are considering canceling elective surgeries to keep acute-care beds open and using a heated tent designed for disaster management to triage emergency patients.
In Maine, the flu season typically crests later in the year than in more southern states. Flu surveillance maps from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show Maine lagging several weeks behind in both the spread and intensity of the flu.
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