TRAVERSE CITY - “We are in the thick of respiratory season here in Northern Michigan,” said Traverse City urgent care medical director Jacob Szafranski.
Very young and very old are the two groups he said are most at risk of getting the flu.
Like COVID, it spreads easily from respiratory droplets and touch, from things like coughing and sneezing.
Those infected may not know they are infected.
While there are a few anti-viral drugs doctors can prescribe, treatment for the flu is slim, and in many cases the doctor says you have to ride it out and get some rest.
Dr. Szafranski said right now they’ve been seeing increased cases for a month and a half. At some point he said it will reach a peak and linger around for another two months.
If you haven’t had the flu yet, there’s still time to take preventative measures.
“Vaccinations, none of them are perfect, but it’s been shown to help reduce the severity of a lot of these respiratory illnesses,” said Dr. Szafranski. “We have them for flu, for COVID, even now for RSV, so the main thing that you can do is preventative. In a lot of situations, once you catch it, it’s a little too late, but it’s not too late to get the vaccine.”
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 26 million people in the U.S. get the flu each year. That’s roughly 8 percent of Americans.