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"We're clearly not seeing influenza yet in the state," said Dr. Stephen Serbin of Family Medical Centers of S.C. "But we are seeing a very persistent, very tenacious respiratory tract infection that's quite resistant to usual measures."
Beaufort County residents have not been spared.
Dr. Frank Bowen, medical director at the Volunteers in Medicine clinic on Hilton Head Island, said he's been treating patients with colds that have progressed to flu-like symptoms.
Bowen said a viral infection is likely to start like an everyday cold, with a cough or sore throat, and go downhill from there. Symptoms can include vomiting, diarrhea or stomachaches.
"It's not the flu, but we have seen a lot of similar flu symptoms," said Casey Johnson, office manager at Main Street Medical on Hilton Head Island.
Johnson said her office has treated a number of fatigued residents who "have been really dehydrated and nauseous."
Bowen said colds are to be expected with children staying indoors more during the day.
"A lot of these things are spread through children ... who may go from one place to another without washing their hands in between," he said. "And you're not going to wash your hands before giving your child a hug."
Bowen and Johnson said the symptoms they've treated can last as long as 10 days and are resistant to certain types of treatment.
"Antibiotics are not useful and may make it worse," Bowen said.
As bad as these viral infections sound, things could get worse if the region experiences an outbreak of influenza.
When clinics think they've treated a patient with the flu, they send a culture to the state Department of Health and Environmental Control for testing.
So far, Main Street Medical and VIM's cultures all have come up negative.
Johnson said it's not unusual for the flu to reach the Lowcountry as late as February or March, "which is why DHEC and Medicare are emphasizing that it's not too late to get vaccinated. A lot of people think it is too late, but it's not."
Patients still canstave off the flu if they're vaccinated several weeks before coming in contact with the illness, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
The (Columbia) State contributed to this report.
