Global Flu Concerns: Healthcare centers around the world struggle to cope

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Welcome back. This year's flu season is the worst in at least a decade. From Hong Kong to the US East Coast, thousands are being hospitalized because of the infection, while hundreds die every week. And there are many more weeks of the flu season left. CGTN's Nathan King reports on the global concern.

Here in the U.S., hospitals from California to Georgia have been setting up special flu tents to cope with the influx of patients.

Over four thousands deaths a week in the US are being blamed on the flu.

DR. ADRIAN COTTON CHIEF OF MEDICAL OPERATIONS, LOMA LINDA UNIV. HEALTH "It is hard to make enough capacity at times to see all those patients, so we've ended up putting up what we call a 'disaster tent' or a 'surge tent.' We put it up January 3rd and what we use it for is overflow for our patients."

And it's not just the young and old that are getting very sick.

JOSHUA LAGADE FLU VICTIM, CALIFORNIA "I was throwing up all night, I thought it was something more serious than the flu because I've never had flu like this before, I've never had to throw up or even come into the hospital for the flu."

It's all over the northern hemisphere. In Japan, the first week of February saw an estimated two point eight million new cases.

In Hong Kong, schools were shut for Chinese New Year early after the outbreak claimed over 120 lives.

This year's most common flu strain - called H3N2 - isn't entirely new, but is different enough that vaccines only give about 30% protection from the virus in the U.S.

In Canada, last month's data show this year's flu vaccine has been even less effective.

Many countries in North Africa and the Middle East are also seeing an increase of the H1N1 strain of flu-better known as the swine flu that spread across the globe in 2009, killing thousands.

The World Health Organization says cases in Europe are well above normal and China is seeing the highest levels of flu cases in four seasons.

This particularly nasty flu season falls on the 100th anniversary of the biggest flu pandemic in history-the 1918 outbreak is estimated to have killed between 20 and 50 million people worldwide. A reminder that one of the world's most common diseases is also one of its deadliest.

NATHAN KING WASHINGTON "Despite strong scientific advances over the last century in the battle against flu - the ultimate weapon - a vaccine that would protect against every strain is still elusive. And, with more virulent strains of flu being discovered it is a war that is far from being won. Nathan King, CGTN Washington."