A massive flu outbreak has hit the United States overwhelming hospitals to the point some have had to set up tents to handle the number of patients.

Lehigh Valley Cedar Crest Hospital has tents set up outside the emergency room because of the “increased number of people with flu-like symptoms” according to staff members.

Terry Burger, hospital director of infection control, told NBC that removing the flu patients from the main emergency room protects everyone. In an environment where everyone is wearing masks “it’s safer for them and certainly safer for the staff.”

The Centers for Disease Control reports that 9 of the 10 geographical regions of the U.S. showed elevated outpatient visits for flu-like symptoms during the last week of 2012 and that the number of people impacted is high in 29 states and in New York City.