18 hours Ago By [email protected](KoreaTimes)
A Seoul hospital is crowded with patients, Monday. Yonhap Health experts call on public to get vaccinated By Jung Da-hyun The number of flu patients here has soared in recent months as more people have become ill amid increasing levels of social interactions, health authorities said Wednesday. Authorities are urging the public to get vaccinated ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday as people usually visit their hometowns to meet family and friends.
Hospitalizations for COVID-19 have also been on the rise recently. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said that suspected influenza cases surged in the last week of December, with 73.9 cases per 1,000 outpatients between Dec.
22 and 28. This figure is 2.4 times higher than the 31.
3 cases reported the week before. The highest recorded number was 86.2 in 2016, marking the peak from eight years ago.
COVID-19 hospitalizations also saw a sharp increase during the same period, with 111 new inpatients recorded, a 1.7 times rise from the previous week’s 66 cases. Hospitals across the country are seeing a surge in flu patients, leading to long wait times and crowded conditions.
"There were so many people at the hospital, even though it was a small one in my neighborhood," said a freelancer in her 50s surnamed Hong. "As soon as the doctor checked my fever, I was tested for the flu and got a positive result." She added that many patients were coughing, and those with fevers were immediately sent to a designated room for flu checkups.
The overwhelming influx of patients has left many hospitals struggling to accommodate everyone. "I went to see a doctor around 11:20 a.m.
because I had a runny nose, but the morning registration had already closed due to the number of patients," Jung Hae-won, a 26-year-old office worker, said. "Many hospitals close after 6 p.m.
, which is usually after office hours, so I still couldn’t see a doctor," she said. A poster providing information about flu and COVID-19 vaccinations is displayed at a clinic in Seoul, Dec. 26.
Yonhap The flu outbreak is hitting young people aged 18 and under particularly hard. Data from the last week of 2024 shows that the highest infection rate was among those aged 13 to 18, with 151.3 cases per 1,000 outpatients, followed by 137.
3 cases for children aged 7 to 12. Adults aged 19 to 49 recorded 93.6 cases, while the rate among those aged 65 and older was 20.
3. The KDCA has advised getting vaccinated ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, warning that increased travel and gatherings could accelerate the spread of influenza and COVID-19. The health agency also stated that the influenza vaccine is closely aligned with the strains currently in circulation, offering strong protection against the virus.
It emphasized the importance of COVID-19 vaccination, noting that the vaccine effectively builds immunity against the variants now spreading in Korea. "To ensure a safe and healthy Lunar New Year holiday with family, we urge high-risk groups, including seniors aged 65 and older, pregnant women and children, to get vaccinated in advance if they haven’t already," KDCA Commissioner Ji Young-mi said..
