Atlanta pharmacies, hospitals under strain as 'super flu' spreads

ATLANTA - Flu season is hitting hard across metro Atlanta, and local pharmacies are feeling the strain as people search for relief.

What we know:

Little Five Points Pharmacy has been especially busy as a wave of illness continues to move through Georgia.

The pharmacy’s owner says the flu is driving much of the demand, with customers coming in desperate for help.

Ira Katz has served the Little Five Points community for more than four decades and says for weeks people have been seeking Tamiflu prescriptions, over-the-counter medications and homeopathic remedies.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Georgia remains in the "very high" flu activity category. New state data show more than 400 people have been hospitalized and six have died since the last update.

Hospital systems across the metro area say they are busy treating flu cases but are not overwhelmed. Health experts continue to urge people to stay home if they are sick and wash their hands often to help slow the spread.

What they're saying:

"This season seems to be a little worse than we've had in the last couple of seasons," said Katz. "I was open Christmas Day, and I would say we filled 20, 25, prescriptions for the generic Tamiflu."

The CDC says that while some indicators it tracks have decreased or remained stable from week to week, it is still too soon to say whether the flu has peaked in Georgia.

"It seems to have dropped off a little bit, as far as getting the Tamiflu, but we're hearing that this season is significantly worse than 
in past seasons," Katz said.

The CDC is blaming a new variant, dubbed by some as the "super flu", for the severity of this season.

As the virus continues to spread, Katz says vaccination remains critical.

"It's never too late to get the vaccine, it's the 12th of January. If you haven't gotten your vaccine, please go ahead and get your vaccine," Katz said.