Hospitals prep for swine flu

    As swine flu spreads around the globe, Delaware Valley hospitals are ready for the worst.

    Hospitals in the Delaware Valley are preparing for a flu outbreak, as more and more people contract swine flu. The latest count from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms at least 40 cases in the United States. None of them have appeared in Pennsylvania, New Jersey or Delaware. P. J. Brennan is the chief medical officer of Penn Health System. He says his hospital is ready for a surge of flu cases.
    (Photo: Flickr/james_michael_hill)

    Brennan: A surge would mean we would make more beds and equipment available in probably separate areas of the hospital so that we can cohort patients who have swine flu and separate them from the rest of the population.

    Brennan says the health system is stocking up on extra doses of flu medication and medical equipment. Health officials are uncertain whether swine flu will become a pandemic, but they do expect it to continue to spread.

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