NC hospital segregates flu victims in outdoor tent

GREENSBORO -- A major North Carolina hospital is pitching tents to battle the spread of swine flu. The Greensboro News & Record reported Wednesday that two tents in the Moses Cone Hospital parking lot are the first stop for patients seeking treatment for flu symptoms. The idea is to cut the spread of the H1N1 flu virus by keeping those infected isolated and take the load off the hospital's emergency room. Hospital officials say the tents are heated and cooled and would be filled with medical equipment and emergency room staff. Patients will be evaluated there and admitted to the hospital if necessary. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates more than 1 million Americans have been infected with swine flu, with many suffering mild cases never reported. (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)