The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency will issue a nationwide influenza (flu) epidemic alert starting at midnight on December 20.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said it held a joint response team meeting with relevant departments regarding respiratory infectious diseases, presided over by the Administrator, and decided to issue a nationwide influenza (flu) epidemic warning on the 19th. This is the first epidemic warning issued in five months.
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, during the 8th to 14th (week 50), there were 13.6 influenza patients per 1,000 among 300 sample monitoring clinics, exceeding the epidemic threshold for the current flu season (8.6). The virus detection rate increased from 1.4% in week 47 to 15.2% in week 50.
Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is an infectious respiratory disease caused by a virus. Symptoms include fever, cough, headache, muscle pain, runny nose, and sore throat. In severe cases, hospitalization may be necessary, or it can lead to death. It spreads through coughing and sneezing, and symptoms appear 1 to 4 days after infection. In South Korea, influenza typically occurs between November and April. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2022, there was almost no influenza outbreak.
This winter, influenza cases have increased across all age groups. As of week 50, the incidence rate for ages 13 to 18 was 36.9 per 1,000, the highest. This was followed by ages 7 to 12 (24.7) and 19 to 49 (18.2).
During the influenza epidemic alert period, high-risk groups such as children, pregnant women, new mothers within two weeks postpartum, the elderly aged 65 and over, immunocompromised individuals, and those with underlying conditions can receive prescription antiviral medications like Tamiflu with health insurance coverage.
The currently circulating influenza virus is of type A and is said to be very similar to the virus used in this season's vaccine. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency noted that it can be sufficiently prevented through vaccination.