. >> reporter: before she got the flu, katie oxley thomas was in good health. the mother of three ran marathons and did yoga. her family never expected the illness to hit her so hard. >> very shocking for us. we thought that she was going to leave the hospital in a couple days and go home. >> reporter: on january 4, three days after her diagnosis, katie oxley thomas died at good samaritan hospital from influenza b. doctors believe the flu lead to pneumonia which led to septic shock. her family rushed to bring her children to the hospital for her finer moments. >> we pick them up at 4:30 pm. by the time we got back at 5:00, she was at code red and they were trying to save her but she was already gone. >> she knew we were there and were supporting her. we were telling her we loved her and she could fight this and she could get through this. she could not fight it. she just cannot fight it. >> reporter: across california, 42 people younger than 65 have died this flu season. 5 in santa clara county. the family is not sure why this case was so severe. they aren't ce

anthony oxley is talking about his late sister, 40 year-old katie oxley- thomas, who died on january 4th, just two days after coming down with the flu. anthony oxley"...they kept telling me she's young and healthy and she's going to fight this off and i thought she would too but it seemed like every fifteen minutes something went wrong..."after coming down with the flu, anthony says his sister, a mother of three, went went to the emergency room at good samaritan hospital the next day, where she was admitted, diagnosed with pneumonia and then moved to intensive care where she passed away that very evening.anthony oxley "....we have two close family friends who are i.c.u. nurses, one has been at stanford for 26 years, they helped us out when my mom was very sick one time and they said in all their experience they had never seen anything like this..."anthony says his sister had gotten a flu shot. having recently celebrated her 4oth birthday, katy was about to start a new job. she went to the gym a lot, she ran marathons and was into yoga and healthy eating. her family wants people to tak

katie oxley thomas was a marathon runner and loved yoga and healthy eating.ondition declined so rapidly her parents say she was moved into intensive care placed on life support and died all in the span of just 15 hours. >> this was like nothing i've ever seen how quickly this attacked her was amazing. >> we just thought she'd be back home in a couple of days and she wasn't. >> and her parents believe she did get a flu shot. they're urging people not to ignore symptoms of the flu. so far this season in california alone, 42 people under the age of 65 have died of the flu. >>> meanwhile, in alabama a 38-year-old father of three is now in a medically induced coma because of the flu. his wife says they delayed going to a doctor. she says in a 24 hour period he went from talking on the phone to fighting for his life. >> we'll switch up things now and talk about sports. kevin durant has made the golden state warriors and cleveone-sid. hela scondred 32 points last ni in the team's second meeting in three weeks. the warriors won by ten. they've taken seven of nine gam

. >> reporter: before she got the flu, katie oxley thomas was in good health. the 40-year-old mother of three ran marathons and did yoga. her family never expected the illness to hit her so hard. >> very shocking for us. we thought that she was going to leave the hospital in a couple days and come home. >> reporter: on january 4, three days after her diagnosis, katie oxley thomas died at good samaritan hospital from insulin sabae. doctors believe the flu lead to pneumonia which led to septic shock. her family and her children to the hospital for her final moments. >> we pick them up at 4:30 pm and we got back at 5:00, they were and red and trying to save her but she was already gone. >> she knew we were there. we were supporting her and telling her we loved her and she could fight this and she could get through this and come home but she could not fight it. she just cannot fight it. >> reporter: across california at least 42 people younger than 65 have died this flu season. 5 in santa clara county. the family is not sure why katie's case was so severe. they are

katie oxley- thomas was just 40- years old. ple in the state -- under the age of 65 -- to die from the flu since october first. her brother says oxley-thomas went to the emergency room at good samaritan hospital the day after getting sick. she was diagnosed with pneumonia and moved to intensive care. oxley-thomas died that night. ( james ) anthony oxley says his sister had gotten a flu shot. he's hoping an autopsy will explain her sudden death. oxley-thomas leaves behind three children. ( james ) the mood is somber at kolb elementary school in dublin... after a student suddenly passes away. giref counselors will be on campus this week to help students and teachers. the boy died over the weekend. the alameda county public health department says the boy was being treated for a disease. but federal law prevents them from releasing details about the boy's de

anthony oxley is talking about his late sister, 40 year-old katie oxley- thomas, who died on january 4th, just two days after coming down with the flu. anthony oxley"...they kept telling me she's young and healthy and she's going to fight this off and i thought she would too but it seemed like every fifteen minutes something went wrong..."after coming down with the flu, anthony says his sister, a mother of three, went went to the emergency room at good samaritan hospital the next day, where she was admitted, diagnosed with pneumonia and then moved to intensive care where she passed away that very evening.anthony oxley "....we have two close family friends who are i.c.u. nurses, one has been at stanford for 26 years, they helped us out when my mom was very sick one time and they said in all their experience they had never seen anything like this..." having recently celebrated her 4oth birthday, katy was about to start a new job. she went to the gym a lot, she ran marathons and was into yoga and healthy eating. her family wants people to take the flu seriously.anthony oxley"....this is

anthony oxley is talking about his late sister, 40 year-old katie oxley- thomas, who died on january 4th, just two days after coming down with the flu. anthony oxley"...they kept telling me she's young and healthy and she's going to fight this off and i thought she would too but it seemed like every fifteen minutes something went wrong..."after coming down with the flu, anthony says his sister, a mother of three, went went to the emergency room at good samaritan hospital the next day, where she was admitted, diagnosed with pneumonia and then moved to intensive care where she passed away that very evening.anthony oxley "....we have two close family friends who are i.c.u. nurses, one has been at stanford for 26 years, they helped us out when my mom was very sick one time and they said in all their experience they had never seen anything like this..." having recently celebrated her 4oth birthday, katy was about to start a new job. she went to the gym a lot, she ran marathons and was into yoga and healthy eating. her family wants people to take the flu seriously.anthony oxley"....this is

katie oxley- thomas was just 40- years old. she's one of the 42 people in the state -- under the age of 65 -- to die from the flu since october first. her brother says oxley-thomas went to the emergency room at good samaritan hospital the day after getting sick. she was diagnosed with pneumonia and moved to intensive care. oxley-thomas died that night. ( darya ) anthony oxley says his sister had gotten a flu shot. he's hoping an autopsy will explain her sudden death. oxley-thomas leaves behind three children. ( james ) the mood is somber at kolb elementary school in dublin... after a student suddenly passes away. giref counselors will be on campus this week to help students and teachers. the boy died over the weekend. the alameda county public health department says the boy was being treated for a disease. but federal law prevents them from releasing det

katie oxley thomas was taken to the emergency room suffering from flu symptoms.ditions declined so quickly she moved into intensive care and was put on life support. 15 hours after arriving from the hospital the mother of three passed away. the family believes katie had a flu shot. >> very active, very healthy. i mean, exercised regularly. she's a marathon runner. you know, really valued health. that was a part of what was so shocking about seeing her decline so quickly. >> reporter: while the elderly are susceptible to the flu california has seen 42 deaths of people under 65. 19 of those here in the bay area. the family has ordered a private autopsy and expect those results within three to four months. reporting live, matt keller, abc 7 news. >> it is shocking to think. thank you, matt. >>> developing news from the east bay in the last 30 minutes the chp revealed a suspected drunk driver caused the chain reaction crash that left one of its officers seriously injured. >> that officer was responding to a crash when another vehicle hit one of the stopped cars which

katie oxley thomas, a south bay mother of three, got sick earlier this month and died within days. >>r, a couple from riverside county is facing torture charges after officials say their 13 children were found shackled to their beds inside of their home. investigators are calling it a disturbing case of abuse. >>> number five, former white house strategist steve bannon is meeting with the house intelligence committee right now to answer questions in the russia investigation. bannon will be questioned behind closed doors. >>> and number six, we're following your tuesday back-to-work commute. you can see those police lights at the bottom of your screen. it's the san mateo bridge westbound out of lanes and one in the eastbound direction. expect delays of at least 30 minutes getting across the span. >> it is not what we needed today, sue. >>> san francisco native danny glover waking up with a new honor receiving the president's award at the naach image awards in southern california last night. >> well done. from "the color purple," lots of movies. >> he's been in everything but that's my

. >> reporter: family members of katie oxley thomas after the mother of three went to good samaritan hospital emergency room with flu seasons and died 15 hours later. >> we know she could hear us. we were saying, you can fight this. you can beat it. we just didn't believe it. we were in total shock. it's still hard to believe. >> reporter: katie was a marathon runner and did yoga as well as pilates, someone you would expect to beat the flu virus. her family says they wanted to share her story as a way to encourage others to take the flu seriously and get vaccinated. >> it's important to get the flu shot and take care of the symptoms because we just thought she'd be back home in a couple of days. and she wasn't. >> reporter: so what can you do? the cdc says get vaccinated if you haven't already. if you do show signs of flu symptoms, go to your doctor and get anti-viral medication. they say that is working against this flu virus. reporting live in san jose, matt keller, abc7 news. >> thank you. >>> we do want to get a check of the weather. you may notice wet roadways on your morning co

. >> reporter: that's what walt oxley says happened to his daughter katy oxley thomas. he said the california mother of three was in excellent health. she practiced yoga and ran three marathons. >> she was in the peak of her life. >> oxley visited the hospital twice. she was admitted to intensive care just days later and died within hours. >> the flu had gone to pneumonia that had gone to septic shock, and it consumed her so quickly, it's hard to grasp. >> thomas is one of 42 people in california under 65 who have died from the flu this season. nationwide 26 states are reporting high influenza-like illness activity. according to the centers for disease control and prevention. >> unfortunately this year's influenza season is proving particularly difficult. >> reporter: over the weekend nico mallozzi was traveling with his hockey team in western new york when he was diagnosed with the flu. he died on his way back home to connecticut. at least 22 children have been killed by the flu this season. the cdc's dr. daniel jernigan believes that's much higher. >> sometimes half is

. >> reporter: jim collins chokes back tears while remembering his girlfriend, katie oxley thomas. >> she had a spirit that wanted to lift everybody around her up. >> reporter: collins says katie, 40-year-old mother of three, started feeling sick new year's day. on january 2nd she went to urgent care. >> they sent her home. said, you have the flu. >> reporter: collins says the next night she got worse, so he took her to a hospital where a doctor ordered an x-ray that showed a chest infection. >> he says, i think she has pneumonia. >> reporter: katie kept getting worse. >> from the time i took her to the hospital to the time she passed was about 18 hours. >> reporter: ruth rivera with action urgent care says her clinic has been inundated with patients showing flu-like symptoms. >> people are getting sick and it's spreading so easily. >> reporter: collins says katie's official cause of death was sepsis, and he questions whether a previous injury last summer put her at higher risk for infection from the flu. but he does know he will never again take the flu lightly. >> it's scary how fas

katie oxley thomas, seen here, a 40-year-old mother of three, started feeling sick around new year's day. on january 2nd, she went to an urgent care center. then to the hospital. her boyfriend says she continued to get worse. >> from the time i took her to the hospital to the time she passed was about 18 hours. it's scary how fast it happens. and it doesn't matter how old you are. she was very healthy. >> health officials say this flu season is on track to being the worst in a decade. they're urging anyone who has not yet received a flu shot to get one as soon as possible. >>> across the bay area tonight, remembering the life of martin luther king jr. and this year people say his message of love and unity resonates even more deeply in a nation deeply divided. terry mcsweeney attended a king's day event in berkeley. he joins us live tonight. >> reporter: a lot of singing and a lot of smiling at first church berkeley tonight as people once again finding inspiration in the words of dr. martin luther king jr. also finding inspiration, you could call it, in the words associated with presi

katie oxley thomas died just two days after being diagnosed. she was a 40-year-old mother of three. she started feeling sick around new year's day and on january 2nd she went into urgent care, then to the hospital. her boyfriend says she continued to get worse. >> from the time i took her to the hospital to the time she passed was about 18 hours. it's scary how fast it happens. and it doesn't matter how old you are. she was very healthy. >> that's sad. health officials say this flu season is on track to being the worst in a decade. they urge anyone who has gotten a flu vaccine or has not gotten one to actually get one as soon as possible. >>> more details now, we told you yesterday that health officials say 42 people have died in california from this flu this season. many are under the age of 65. the l.a. times has details on the death toll from state officials. the cdc has basic advice, stay home when you are sick, wash your hands and try to just avoid people who have the flu. >>> coming up on "today in the bay," what in the world would keep these people waiting in line for hours.

. >> reporter: the family of katie oxley thomas tonight tells us they're pretty sure she got a flu shot this season, but it didn't protect her. just 48 hours after she first started showing signs of the flu, this 40-year-old mother of three from california was dead. >> this was like nothing i've ever seen, how quickly this deteriorated her and attacked her. >> reporter: this particular strain of flu that doctors are seeing most can be a quick killer. in alabama, 38-year-old adam york is suddely fighting for his life tonight and needing a machine to breathe. >> it was a 24-hour period, he went from talking to me on the phone to being in the bed on these machines. >> reporter: at the cdc today in atlanta, health officials shared that 20 children across the country have died from the flu this winter. seven of them reported just last week. one of them is a 4-year-old from dayton, ohio. >> one of the most difficult things i've ever had to do was tell my other children on saturday morning that their little brother wasn't coming home. >> reporter: health officials here underline that the flu s

. >> reporter: nico's story painfully similar to that of katie oxley thomas, a 40-year-old marathon runnered of similar complications. she went to an e.r. with worsening flu symptoms and tied 15 hours later. >> sometimes things happen and it could be because somebody has an addition allen can that we weren't aware of. if you start vomiting if you are a developing very high fevers, if you are not able to keep down any food or drink, if you become lightheaded while you're standing. >> reporter: doctors using rapid tests at urgent care centers like this one, getting results in just five minutes. and david, tonight, hospitals are also dealing with iv bag shortages. many of them are made in hurricane-ravaged puerto rico. so, we're told it could take weeks or months for this shortage to be resolved. david? >> gio, thank you. >>> when we come back here tonight, the death of a college football quarterback. >>> and a breaking headline right now involving an officer struck in new york's times square. what we just learned.h? we have postmenopausal osteoporosis... ..and a high risk for fracture so wit

. >> reporter: jim collins chokes back tears while remembering his girlfriend, katie oxley thomas. >> she wanted everyone she knew to succeed. and she did what she could to help. >> reporter: katie started getting sick on new year's day. she went to urgent care but they sent her home. >> she got worse. >> reporter: he took her to the hospital. a doctor took an x-ray that showed a chest infection. >> she never got better. to the time i took her to the hospital to the time she passed was about 18 hours. >> reporter: urgent care said they've been packed with flu cases of all ages. >> this strain that's going around is a little more virulent, and that combination is spreading like wildfire. >> reporter: collins said katie's official cause of death was sepsis, and he questions whether a previous injury last summer put her at higher risk for an infection from the flu. >> i don't know. i would love to blame someone, but i don't know. i was just ignorant to the fact of how deadly the flu was. i just thought it was just the flu. >> reporter: reporting from san jose, laura malpert, bay area new

katie oxley thomas died two days after coming down with symptoms, the cdc said 500 people died from flueason. rob: a frightening experience for the parents of a little girl they say tried to leap out of a second floor window after taking tamiflu. the child asked father who wants to remain anonymous described what happened. >> the second story window was open in her bedroom and she used her desk to climb onto it and she was about to jump out the window when my wife grabbed her. rob: the texas family knew of the possible side effects associated with the popular flu fighting medication which comes with a warning that strange behavior can occur especially in kids. reactions like this are rare. jillian: and officer praised for his quick thinking saving the choking toddler's life on his first day on the job. rob: richard mayer jumping into action to save the 2-year-old and joins us with the incredible story. thanks so much for getting up early and telling us what happened and let everybody know you are a reserve officer for nine month, this was your first actual job as a cop and first day on

because of tubes attached to her, katie thomas could not speak. stepmother adrienne oxleyched as katie's condition deteriorated over a span of hours. >> i know she could hear us. we're saying, katie, you can fight this, you can beat it. and we just didn't believe it. we were in total shock. it's still hard to believe. >> reporter: katie thomas died 15 hours after arriving at the hospital. it's believed she had had a flu shot. the family remains in shock, but wanted to share their story as a way to encourage others to take the flu seriously and to get vaccinated. >> it's important to go out there and get their flu shot and take care of the symptoms. because we just thought she'd be back home in a couple of days. and she wasn't. >> reporter: katie thomas is one of 42 adults under age 65 in california who have died from flu complications since october. she was a marathon runner and did yoga as well as pe lawsuit tease. a healthy, active person who would be expected to beat the flu virus. but this flu has been proven devastating to people of all ages, especially impacting kati

katie oxley thomas was a mother of three people from san jose and is one of at least 42 people under the age of 65 years old who have now died from the flu. our reporter sat down with her family today and they wanted to warn others about just how dangerous the flu can be. >> reporter: by the time katie was admitted here she was already in serious distress. then it was just a matter of hours before the flu became fatal. before she got the flu, she was in good health. the 40-year-old mother of three ran marathons and did yoga. the family never expected the illness to hit her so hard. >> it is very shocking to us. we thought you would leave the hospital in a couple of days and come on.>> reporter: on january 4, just three days after her diagnosis, she died from the flu. doctors believe the flu led to pneumonia and that led to septic shock. >> we went to pick up the kids at 4:30 pm, and by the time we got back, she was at code red and trying to save her. but she was already gone. >> she knew she was there and we were supporting her and that she could fight this and just get through this.

katie oxley thomas was a mother of three. she was in good health. an marathons and practiced yoga. on january 4th, just three days after being diagnosed with the flu, katie died at good samaritan hospital in san jose. doctors believe the flu led to pneumonia. that led to septic shock. the family still can't believe how quickly everything happened. >> very shocking for us. >> yeah. very shock. >> we thought she was just going to leave the hospital and come home. >> most of us get the flu and recover from it. a happenedful of people every -- handful of people every year don't. you don't think it's going to be your daughter. you want to take it serious. >> across california at least 42 people, younger than 65, have died from the flu this season. katie's family is hoping by them speaking out about her death, they can honor the vibrant, joyful woman they lost but also warn others about the danger of the flu. the family has set up a fund to help her three children. >>> a health warning if you traveled through chicago's o'hare airport last week. a passenger

(grant) katie oxley thomas is a among the 42 californians under age 65 to die from the flu since october. but this one...is as stunning as any...and heartbreaking to be sure...especially for her three young children. katie had just celebarted her 40th birthday. anthony anthony oxley/sister died from flu: "...i'm thinking, wow, this is a bad one but no way did i think that she was going to die...""...they kept telling me she's young and healthy and she's going to fight this off and i thought she would too but it seemed like every fifteen minutes something went wrong..."....we have two close family friends who are i.c.u. nurses, one has been at stanford for 26 years, they helped us out when my mom was very sick one time and they said in all their experience they had never seen anything like this..." "....this is something we definitely don't want to be the poster child for but it's something we are dealing with and we hope that nobody else has to deal with it..." (grant) anthony says his sister did get the flu shot this year... some 500 people attended a memorial service over the weekend t

. >> reporter: jim collins chokes back tears while remembering his girlfriend, katie oxley thomas. >> she wanted to see everybody that was close to her succeed, and she did what she could to help them. >> reporter: katie, a 40-year-old mother of three, started feeling sick around new year's day. on january 2nd, she went to an urgent care. >> but they sent her home and said you have the flu. >> reporter: collin says the next night she got worse so he took her to a hospital, where a doctor ordered an x-ray that showed a chest infection. >> he says i think she has pneumonia. >> katie never got better. >> from the time i took her to the hospital to the time she passed was about 18 hours. >> reporter: ruth rivera with action urgent care says they've been packed with flu patients of all ages. . >> the season started early and the strain going around is a little more virulent and i this i that combination is just spreading like wildfire. >> reporter: the official cause of death was sepsis and wonders if an injury last summer put her at higher for the flu. >> i'd love to blame someone but i d

katie oxley thomas was a mother of three. her family said she was in good health and ran marathons and practiced yoga. on january 4, three days after she was diagnosed with the flu, katie died at good samaritan hospital in san jose. doctors believe the flu lead to pneumonia which then led to septic shock. her family says they can't believe how quickly everything progressed. >> very shocking for us. we thought she was going to leave the hospital in a couple days to come home. >> most of us get the flu and recover from it. a handful of people every year don't. you don't think it will be your daughter but you really want to take it serious. >> across california, 42 people younger than 65 have died this flu season. the family hopes by speaking out about her death, they can honor the vibrant, joyful woman they lost and warn others about the dangers of the flu. the family has set up a fund to help her children. >>> a health warning. if you travel through chicago's o'hare airport last week, a passenger was confirmed with measles and

katie oxley thomas with the mother of three and her family said she was in good health and even ran marathonsa. january 4, three days after she was diagnosed with the flu, she died at good samaritan hospital in san jose. doctors believe the flu lead to pneumonia which led to septic shock. her family says they still can't believe how quickly everything progressed. >> very shocking for us. we thought that she was going to leave the hospital in a couple days and come home. >> most of us get the flu and recover from my. a handful of people every year don't and you don't think it's going to be your daughter. you really want to take it serious. >> across california, at least 42 people younger than the age of 65 have died this season. the family hopes that by speaking out about her death, they can honor the vibrant woman they lost and also warn others about the dangers of the flu. the family has set up a fund to help the children. >>> a bay area music legend, gospel grammy award winner, edwin hawkins, has died. [ singing ] >> edwin hawkins, best known for the grammy-winning song, oh happy day, a son

that includes a san jose mother, katie oxley thomas died just two days after being diagnosed. she was a 40-year-old mother of three. she started feeling sick around new year's day. on january 2nd she went to an urgent care, then to the hospital. her boyfriend said she continued to get worse. >> from the time i took her to the hospital to the time she passed was about 18 hours. it's scary how fast it happens. and it doesn't matter how old you are. she was very healthy. >> and health officials say the flu season is on track of being the worst in decades. they urge anyone who has not gotten a flu vaccine to get one as soon as possible. >>> authorities in the north bay are investigating a shooting. it happened a little before 8:00 last night near cooks school park south of highway 12 in santa rosa. a 17-year-old was shot but managed to drive to a nearby medical center for treatment. her injuries not considered life-threatening and police providing no other details. >>> this morning officers across the bay area are on the lookout for a man at the center of a wild chase that ended i

. >> reporter: that's what walt oxley says happened to his daughter, katie oxley thomas. says the california mother of three was in excellent health. she practiced yoga and ran three marathons. >> she was just in the peak of her life. >> reporter: oxley says thomas visited the hospital twice in two days, both times diagnosed with the flu and sent home to rest. she was admitted to intensive care just days later and died within hours. >> the flu had gone to pneumonia that had gone to septic shock. and it consumed her so quickly. it's hard to grasp. >> reporter: thomas is one of 42 people in california under 65 who have died from the flu this season. nationwide, 26 states are reporting high influenza-like activity. >> tunately this season is proving particularly difficult. >> reporter: over the weekend, 10-year-old nico was traveling with his hockey team in western new york when he was diagnosed with the flu. he died on his way back home to connecticut. at least 22 children have been reportedly killed by the flu this season. the cdc's dr. daniel jernigan believes that number

her family says that katy oxley thomas was a healthy marathon runner before she got sick.he had three children ranging in age from 8 to 17. she's one of 42 people in california under the age of 65 who have died from the flu this season. flu is widespread in every state except hawaii. the epidemic is so serious that the centers for disease control postponed a nuclear disaster response briefing today. instead, experts they say will be focusing on the flu. >>> hawaii's false missile alert is drawing attention to problems in the national system that warns the public about emergencies. fear of a nuclear missile strike saturday sent many people in hawaii running for cover. officials blame the alarm on an employee at the state's emergency management agency who pressed the wrong button. jan crawford is in washington with why critics say the nation's warning network needs reforms. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the federal communications commission which has jurisdiction over these alerts is promising a full investigation. the commission's chairman is worried that these k

65 have died from flu-related complications. 40-year-old marathon runner and mother of three katie oxley thomasd just 15 hours after being admitted to an e.r. in san jose with flu symptoms. hospitals overwhelmed without enough room some setting up e.r. tents in parking lots to triage the flood of patients. >> this seems to be the worst flu season in at least 10 to 15 years and we're seeing a lot more patients for flu and the patients we're seeing a lot sicker than usual. >> reporter: the situation is so dire the cdc postponed a briefing scheduled for nuclear detonation to instead give an update on the response to the severe influenza outbreak. as far as nico and his family unimaginable, this active little boy gets sick on thursday, died by the end of the weekend. >> so heartbreaking for that family. >> thank you, michael. >>> now to that emotional testimony in the gymnastics abuse case, dozens of victims confronted team usa doctor larry nassar with tears and anger about his crimes. abc's linsey davis has the story. >> reporter: trembling and tearful. >> and i have experienced flashback nightmar

katie oxley thomas got sick and died within 47 hours and her family even believes she had already gotten the flu shot. >> we just thought she'd be back home in a couple of days and she wasn't. >> reporter: today the cdc's planned workshop on nuclear attack preparedness was scrapped at the last minute for the flu. they're sounding this alarm instead. here in atlanta the number of patients with the flu showing up at hospitals has more than downed. >> we've tested nearly twice as many patients as we have the year before and we're seeing about four types as much flu. >> reporter: another problem, hospitals need bags of i.v. fluid to treat the flu and there's a shortage after hurricane maria shut down a factory in puerto rico. at mass general in boston, they're having to give some patients gatorade through a stomach tube instead. they say it's still not too late to get a flu shot. if you do get one and get sick your illness won't be as rough. about that father who is hospitalized in a medically induced coma we're learning, michael, his family doesn't have health insurance and they're raising