McGreevy Clinics across Sioux Falls and especially Acute Care facilities are reporting high numbers of patients with H1N1. It sounds like the virus is definitely in town and it's hitting young kids and teens the hardest.   

As of last week, doctors stopped doing lab tests to confirm if you do indeed have H1N1 because the volume of people coming is so high. Testing takes longer so by eliminating it they can see more patients. Plus, by now they know the symptoms. Dr. Kim Pedersen in Family Medicine at McGreevy Clinic Avera West tells us who he's been treating.

Dr. Pedersen, "For this we've been seeing kids, teens and young adults.  Not as many elderly like we are used to seeing with the seasonal flu. On when they should see the doctor, depends on how sick they are.  It seems people who get H1N1 are quite ill. And they have gotten sick very rapidly. It hits them hard, their temp goes way up, they have really bad body aches and a fairly significant cough. Not everyone will have the same symptoms, but we've been seeing that happen very rapidly. If you aren't that sick stay home and treat the symptoms.

From talking to a number of doctors in town, it sounds like most of the people going in to Acute Care truly are very sick and not just people who are worried their sniffles may be H1N1.

Remember: share the love, not the flu. Stay home when you are sick and don't go back to work or school until you are fever free for 24 hours.