TRAVERSE CITY -- The Grand Traverse region could have "hundreds" of swine flu cases in the community, and those who aren't sick should be vaccinated to prevent further outbreaks, local health professionals said.
It's likely people experiencing flu-related symptoms today are battling the new virus, even without a diagnosis, said Dr. Michael Collins, medical director for the Grand Traverse and Benzie-Leelanau health departments.
The Grand Traverse County department has vaccine left after a community flu clinic Sunday, Collins said, but he was unsure Monday how many doses remain.
Staff are evaluating a tentative schedule of school-based clinics, he said. A clinic was planned tonight at the health department for students from charter schools Grand Traverse Academy, Woodland School and Traverse City College Preparatory Academy.
A throat swab taken locally can determine whether a patient has Type A influenza, of which H1N1 is a strain, Collins said.
He added that many results sent to Lansing for official confirmation have been positive.
"Testing is less important now than in the early stages because now if a doctor sees somebody with typical flu symptoms, they can be 99 percent sure," Collins said. "The great majority of people are just going to have had typical symptoms."
No deaths have been attributed to swine flu in the region, said several physicians and Grand Traverse County medical examiner Dr. Matthew Houghton.
Widespread numbers of students began reporting flu-like illnesses a week ago. Schools from East Jordan to Traverse City closed after significant percentages of children were absent.
The virus has not indicated it's more severe than the seasonal flu, but "I expect we're still on the upswing," Collins said.
Health professionals are concerned about its tendency to infect greater numbers of children than older adults.
If emergency room visits at Traverse City's Munson Medical Center are any indication, the flu may have peaked, said Dr. Karen Speirs, an infectious disease specialist at the hospital. The number of visits was down Monday.
People should continue to seek the swine flu vaccine when it's available, because physicians don't know how the virus will progress, she said.
At least 80 percent of patients have been vaccinated for swine flu at obstetrician Dr. Kurt Wright's practice. Last week, the clinic had 300 doses for pregnant women. Thirty remained as of Monday.
"Some women are really worried about becoming sick, and some aren't," Wright said. "(We're) trying to prevent it from becoming an epidemic."
Dr. Debra Graetz, a private-practice physician in East Bay Township, said she clusters her flu appointments together in a separate room so she limits exposure in her office.
She began to see an increase in patients with flu symptoms last week, but said they're not the majority of her patients.
"That's the nature of family practice," she said. "It is still a very serious illness, but I do feel things could have been worse."
Schools are shutting down in response to a large number of children who are sick, and local business managers said they are developing plans of their own.
Hand-sanitizer dispensers have been installed at cash registers at Ben Franklin on Eighth Street and at Ace Hardware in Traverse City.
"Considering how busy it is this time of year, from now until Christmas, it would be kind of devastating for us," said Cindy Taylor, an assistant manager at Ben Franklin. "We'd probably be working with a skeleton crew."
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