News photo by Crystal Nelson Josh Meyerson, medical director with District Health Department No. 4, updates the department’s board on Tuesday on flu activity in the region.

PRESQUE ISLE — Officials with District Health Department No. 4 are seeing widespread flu activity throughout the region, the area’s chief doctor said.

They also made contact with an individual who had recently traveled to China and was required to self-quarantine over coronavirus fears, Medical Director Joshua Meyerson told the Health Department’s board on Tuesday. There was no indication that person had coronavirus.

Across Northeast Micigan, “the reports I’m seeing have been a mixture of influenza A and influenza B,” Meyerson told the health department’s board. “Every flu season is unique and this year what was unique is that we’ve had a lot of influenza B activity right from the get-go.”

Meyerson said influenza B usually follows influenza A. While influenza A and influenza B are two different strains of the flu virus, Meyerson said, both strains will get people sick. But he says influenza B usually affects kids more, which may be why schools have been hit really hard this year.

Meyerson did not say how many cases of the flu have been reported to the Health Department.

“The best thing you can do to prevent it, besides getting a flu shot every year, is wash your hands and cover your cough if you are sick,” he said. “Stay home if you are sick, so you’re not spreading it, and wash your hands before eating.”

Health Department officials on Friday were notified of a person within the department’s service area who had returned from China and was required to self-quarantine. DHD No. 4 serves the residents of Alpena, Montmorency, Presque Isle, and Cheboygan counties.

Health Officer Denise Bryan said officials were notified of the traveler but learned 14 days had already lapsed when they made contact, so that individual is no longer under observation.

Bryan said Health Department officials are receiving frequent updates related to coronavirus.

“The department is working with the state and all the (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines,” she said. “We have weekly calls, and, at this point, we have only monitored individuals in the state. We don’t have anyone diagnosed with coronavirus in Michigan.”

Meyerson explained the CDC has a quarantine station at Detroit Metro Airport where health officials are monitoring U.S. citizens or permanent residents coming back from China and notifying state health officials of their arrival. He said state health officials are then entering those individuals in a database, which local health departments have to monitor.

“Really, our role with public health is to make contact with that person and to make sure that they’re well and to make sure their needs are being taken care of,” he said.

Meyerson said Health Department officials will make sure those individuals have a place where they can self-quarantine safely by themselves, determine whether groceries or medications need to be delivered, and see if they have other family members who might need care.

“We need to make sure that those people can safely quarantine themselves and self-monitor,” he said. “The other role is, if they do develop symptoms within that period, they need to get evaluated at a medical center.”

If someone were to develop symptoms, such as a fever, Meyerson said, staff at the Health Department would then communicate with the hospital and call ahead so the hospital expects the patient’s arrival.

Crystal Nelson can be reached at 989-358-5687 or cnelson@thealpenanews.com.