FLU WAVE FILLS AREA HOSPITALS; SHOTS RECOMMENDED TO PREVENT INFECTION.

Byline: Stacy Brown Daily News Staff Writer

Hospitals, clinics and doctors offices have rivaled the mall for business in these days after Christmas as Santa Clarita residents fall victim to the flu.

A receptionist at Facey Medical Group in Canyon Country said it was impossible to find an available doctor or a nurse who was not caring for those who had come down with the flu.

``We are very busy. And that's an understatement,'' she said.

Ditto for the Northeast Valley Health Corp. in Valencia, where officials said they were forced to summon help from other areas because many of the staff physicians were vacationing during the holiday.

With cold weather blanketing the Santa Clarita Valley throughout the week, emergency room employees at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital said they've been working overtime treating kids and adults who come in with flu-like symptoms.

``The last three or four days have been very busy with people who have the flu,'' said Trish Showers, a clerk in the hospital's emergency room. She said she has seen her share of flu victims to know most of the symptoms.

``It happens about this time every year, a fever, sore throat, vomiting and diarrhea. There is really nothing you can do. People should get their shots. And you should always wash your hands,'' Showers said.

Rebecca Lefler, a registered nurse at Providence Holy Cross Hospital in Mission Hills, said the flu usually starts with a headache and then, after fatigue begins to set in, a fever normally follows.

About 80 percent of patients over the past two weeks in the Holy Cross ER have been diagnosed with the flu.

``They usually complain of headaches and that they're fatigued and then, bam!'' Lefler said. ``It all hits at once.''

Health officials said treating the flu is an impossible task, so it is advisable to take steps to prevent the dreaded illness.

``It's a virus and there is nothing that can be done for a virus. You have to treat the symptoms and that is accomplished by getting lots of rest and drinking plenty of fluids,'' Lefler said.

Unable to savor the holiday presents and family gatherings, many people found themselves in area hospitals, clinics and doctors offices, too sick to continue the revelry.

``I really don't know exactly how many people have come in, but we've had a few that we've had to keep because of other conditions that accompanied their flu,'' Lefler said.

Lefler also said it is important to use caution if someone in your household has the flu. She said others should be sure to wash hands thoroughly and refrain, if possible, from breathing the same air as those who are sick.

``People should also learn to stay at home. You get a lot of individuals who try to go to work and work themselves through it, tough it out. That's not good,'' Lefler said. Germs, she added, pass hand to hand easily by sharing such items as a telephone.