With the swine flu virus threatening to hit America hard over the next few months, local hospitals are preparing to mitigate the effects that the illness might have on people in the surrounding communities.

Dr. Albert Biehl, vice president of medical affairs at Bethesda Memorial Hospital, said that as many as 40 percent of the population is expected to get the virus in the coming flu season.

“We were briefed recently and expect to see an increase in cases come mid-September,” Biehl said.

The H1N1 flu virus could cause up to 90,000 deaths in the country, mainly among
 children and young adults, according
 to a report released last week by a presidential advisory panel.


The advisory panel also said the outbreak could lead to 1.8 million hospital admissions.

Biehl said with the number of possible cases in mind, the hospital has what he called a “mini-disaster plan” for the outbreak.

The plans has the ER handing out prescriptions for Tamiflu, the 42 bays in the ER to be used for infusion therapy, and if needed, the waiting rooms and other areas to be converted to treatment rooms.

Lisa Kronhaus, public relations director for Bethesda, said the first phase of the hospital’s plan was to educate the staff and the doctors about the new flu strain.

The next step, she said, is to educate the public.

Kronhaus said washing hands, coughing in a sleeve, sneezing in the arm and staying home while being sick are some of the tips they gave parents and children.

She said the hospital plans to send more representatives out to nearby schools to educate.

Read more about this story in the Sept. 9 issue of the Boynton Forum.

Mike Rothman can be reached at mkrothman@tribune.com.