Dallas hospital at capacity due to large number of flu patients

A Dallas hospital is at full capacity due to a high number of patients with flu-like symptoms

Methodist Dallas Medical Center said it has so many patients with flu-like symptoms that its staff is swamped and it is running out of beds.

As of Sunday night, all non-emergency patients are being re-routed to other hospitals. Methodist is also encouraging people with non-emergency issues to get help at an urgent care facility or go to their primary care doctor.

The hospital, located on Beckley Avenue in Oak Cliff, wants to be able to treat patients with serious illnesses and trauma victims.

The flu has hit North Texas and the rest of the country hard this season. Dallas County Health and Human Services is reporting 11 flu-related deaths so far and the flu season is not over yet. It’s expected to peak next month.

Health experts say it’s not too late to get the flu vaccine.