Alberta hospitals are being slammed with flu patients at a time when they’re already under strain, and doctors are bracing for more as the worst of the respiratory virus season has yet to hit.

"We're getting crushed — everywhere. All of the emergency departments are getting hit very hard,” said Dr. Paul Parks, the president-elect of the section of emergency medication with the Alberta Medical Association.

"This is only the beginning of it."

Experts have been warning this could be a particularly bad influenza season .

The province’s respiratory virus dashboard shows hospitalizations are rising and, at 17.8 per cent, the flu positivity rate is higher than average for this time of year.

“It’s placing immense pressure on our hospital system," said Parks.

As of Nov. 29, 519 Albertans ha

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