Don’t See Doctor When You're Sick?

MINNEAPOLIS - We are heading into flu season and the Centers for Disease Control already saying it's widespread in Minnesota. But, hospitals are asking some people who sick not to get checked out.

At Hennepin County Medical Center, Jazmine Bradford and her baby Allah are both sick. But her doctor told her to stay home, instead of going to the hospital.

"This is where you come to cure that, so why would you not come here," said Bradford.

Doctor Doug Brunette is the assistant chief of medicine at HCMC. He says if a child doesn’t have H1N1, but has a simple cold, they may expose themselves to H1N1 by going to the hospital. With H1N1 expected to peak in the next few months he says it's important to be able to treat the sickest patients.

"The biggest concern is for us to have a title wave of patients, most of whom we can not offer any specific treatment they wouldn't be able to do at home," said Brunette.

Lynn Berg, who heads up Allina Medical Clinics knows it goes against common sense. So there are key triggers to see a doctor.

Doctors say if you are severely short of breath, have severe vomiting and severe headaches, a temperature consistently above, then seeing a doctor is important.

Those with respiratory disease, heart disease and pregnant woman shouldn't take any chances are a high risk group.