New York City’s hospital emergency rooms are seeing more cases of the flu than they have in the past few years. That’s according to city health commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley.

He says in the last week or two, about five percent of people coming into emergency rooms have influenza-like symptoms. That’s compared to rates of two percent of visits in other years.

Farley says, “It’s definitely worse than we were in the last couple of years.”

He urges people who haven’t gotten a flu shot to get one. To locate a flu clinic, click here or call 311.

The flu is already widespread around the country. In the last week, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials say that the number of flu cases reported took a huge jump — and the virus is now widespread in 41 states.

Lyn Finelli, who heads the surveillance and response team that monitors influenza for the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said this year’s flu season was about five weeks ahead of the average.

“We haven’t seen such an early season since 2003 to 2004,” Finelli told NBC News.

Farley says the city started seeing cases in early November and expects it to be around for another two months.

Whether or not you get the shot (an estimated 63 percent of Americans have not), there are many everyday, elementary things you can do to lessen the odds of falling victim.

Here are a few of them, via the CDC:

• Wash your hands often. Use soap and water. But if they are not available, hand sanitizer will suffice.

• Try not to touch your eyes, nose and mouth too much. That’s how germs spread.

• Stay away from sick people.

If you do get sick, the best you can do is stay at home, away from healthy people. The CDC also recommends asking your doctor if it makes sense to take an antiviral drug. These drugs can ease symptoms and help them fade faster.

(AP)