Children are back in school. Everyone returned from vacation. The weather is dry. And this year’s flu strain couldn’t be happier. It’s bad news for San Diego County, especially the South Bay where hospitals are running at or near capacity with patients suffering from some sort of respiratory issue. “We’ve seen a high surge in flu cases, for sure,” said Dr. Samer Kahdor, chief medical officer at Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center. Hospital staff erected a tent in the emergency room’s parking lot to triage incoming patients because it was getting too crowded inside. Kahdor said it’s best to keep anyone with flu symptoms separate from people with underlying conditions. “The last few years have prepared us to handle this,” he smiled. The San Diego County Department of Public Health said numbers of flu and RSV cases have nearly doubled in the past week. They’ve quadrupled in some cases since the beginning of December. “It’s one of the more virulent strains that’s out there,” SharpCare Eastlake Dr. Ehatsham Ahmad said. He said the H3N2 strain packs a far stronger punch, even against healthy people. “They’re having two weeks of lingering symptoms now because this strain causes more of a more violent inflammatory response in the body,” Ahmad explained. He added the dry, low humidity also makes the nose a perfect breeding ground for the strain. “Especially when it’s not moist, it’s not able to capture those viruses from going further,” Ahmad said. Making matters even worse, tens of thousands of school children returned to school Tuesday for the first time since the winter break. Ahmad expects to see more flu cases in the next few weeks to months. “Good thing is a lot of kids will get it and will have fewer symptoms,” Kahdor added. “And for the most part, young, healthy people will be good.”