Seoul, Southโข Korea – โ Influenza cases are surging across Southโ Korea, marking โขa fifth consecutive week of increases andโข representing aโฃ 14.7-fold โjump compared to the same period last year, according to data released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) on Wednesday. The rapid rise in cases is prompting health officials to urge vaccination โคas the flu season is expected to continue โinto April.
The KDCA’s surveillance ofโข 300 clinic-levelโ medical institutions revealed โขa suspected influenza patient rate of 70.9 as of the week of November 16th to 21st – up from 7.9 in the week of October 12th to 18th. This represents โฃa 6.9% increase from the previousโฃ week’s โฃrateโฃ of 66.3. Whileโ COVID-19 hospitalizationsโ are decreasing, the number of patients hospitalized with viral acute respiratory infectionsโข is rising,โฃ with influenza accounting for 37.9% of those cases.
Currently, the flu is predominantlyโ affecting children and โคadolescents. The influenza virus detection rate stands at 45%,consistently increasing for six weeks,withโ Type A (H3N2) being the most commonly detected strain. Health officials confirm that currently administered โขvaccines areโ effective against circulating mutations of the virus.
As of the latest data,โ 603 patients are hospitalized with influenza, continuing an โupward trend. Simultaneously, COVID-19 hospitalizations are declining for the fourth consecutiveโ week,โข with 135 patients currently hospitalized – down from 201 in the 44th โweek.
The totalโ number of patients hospitalized with viral acute respiratory infection reached 1,591, โคa slight increase from the previous week’s 1,574, and significantly higher than the 972 recorded during the same period last year. Rhinovirus infections account for 24.7% of these cases, followed by โrespiratoryโ syncytial virus at 13.3%.
The KDCA anticipates โฃthe flu season will persist until April 2024 and recommends โขimmediate vaccination.the government is currently offering national influenza vaccinations to individuals over 65,โฃ pregnant women, โand children aged between 6 months and 13 years. Health authorities suggest this year’s influenza epidemic could be comparable in scale toโฃ last year’s,โ which was the most severe in a decade.
