Signs of a "twindemic," with influenza and COVID-19 spreading at the same time, are prompting calls for stronger precautions against respiratory infections in South Korea.
The Korean Medical Association's infectious disease response committee issued a set of recommendations on the 16th after flu and COVID-19 cases rose in tandem. The committee urged people to follow basic hygiene rules — washing hands under running water for at least 30 seconds and covering the mouth with a sleeve when coughing or sneezing — and to wear masks in crowded indoor spaces.
It also said children, pregnant women and older adults who are eligible for vaccination should get their shots on schedule, and that anyone with respiratory symptoms such as fever or coughing should see a doctor. High-risk groups, including people aged 65 and over and those with underlying conditions, face a greater chance of severe illness if infected and should take particular care, the committee said, adding that enclosed spaces should be ventilated regularly.
The committee also asked the government to closely monitor how respiratory infections develop and conditions at medical facilities. "With the recent rise in patients, concerns from medical providers and questions raised in the media about supplies of flu vaccines and COVID-19 treatments have continued, so the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and other relevant authorities should pre-emptively review supply and distribution," the committee said. "They must do their utmost to secure and supply vaccines and treatments so they can be delivered on time."
According to the agency, the rate of influenza-like illness (ILI) at clinic-level medical institutions stood at 25.3 cases per 1,000 outpatients in the 36th week of this year, from Aug. 30 to Sept. 5. That is 3.8 times the 6.6 recorded in the same period a year earlier. The figure exceeded this season's epidemic threshold of 12.9, and an epidemic advisory was issued on the 11th of this month. COVID-19 hospitalizations at hospital-level institutions also rose for a seventh straight week, climbing to 193 in the 36th week from 15 in the 29th week.
Influenza is an acute respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. Death rates are higher among older adults, young children and people with underlying conditions, and the disease can lead to complications such as pneumonia, making it important not to miss early symptoms. A common cold typically starts gradually with a runny nose, sneezing and a mild fever below 38 degrees Celsius, while the flu is marked by the sudden onset of high fever, headache, chills, muscle aches and general weakness. COVID-19 resembles a cold but is also accompanied by loss of smell or taste, or difficulty breathing.
