Across the United States, there have been at least 6.2 million illnesses, 53,000 hospitalizations and 2,900 deaths from flu this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Local hospitals say they are seeing a lot of patients coming in for treatment as well.

Dr. Jeff Johnson, an emergency room physician at Hillcrest Medical Center, joined the News On 6 team on Friday morning to discuss the surge in flu patients.