Number of flu, hand-foot-and-mouth disease patients on rise amid warmer weather
Arirang News
2019-05-07
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Time now for our "Life & Info" segment… where we focus on information useful for your everyday life.
The warmer weather we've been seeing in South Korea has caused the number of flu patients to soar.
Cases of hand, foot-and mouth disease infections are also on the rise.
Park Se-young has more.
In the second to last week of April, of every one thousand outpatients, an average of 44-point-two had a suspected case of the flu.
According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this is the highest number for this period since 2004.
Of the suspected cases, six in ten were children under the age of 12, with symptoms including a high fever over 38 degrees Celsius and body aches.
It's an infection that spreads easily, especially in confined spaces.
"Kids are normally told they can go back to school 48 hours after their fever has come down and they're off their medicine. But if possible, it helps for them to avoid contact with their friends and stay home for five days."
The number of flu cases normally tends to go down in April.
In fact, in March and April over the last 15 years, the number of suspected cases has never surpassed 40 per one-thousand people.
Despite the uptrend, doctors do not recommend getting flu vaccines immediately, since they take two to three weeks to take effect.
Meanwhile, what's usually more commmon in the warmer months is hand-foot-and-mouth disease, and the number of cases has indeed been rising.
From the last week of March to April, more than two in every thousand outpatients were suspected of having the virus, …which typically affects young children and babies.
Those with symptoms like a rash or sores in the mouth, on the palms or on the soles of the feet, as well as flu-like symptoms, are advised to avoid contact with others and stay home.
The infection usually goes away on its own in about 7 to 10 days, …but patients with high fever and frequent vomiting must seek medical treatment.
Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is spread through unwashed hands, saliva, mucus and fluids from open rashes or sores.
To prevent infection, people should wash their hands often with soap and warm water, disinfect frequently touched surfaces …and avoid close contact with infected people.
Park Se-young, Arirang News.
The warmer weather we've been seeing in South Korea has caused the number of flu patients to soar.
Cases of hand, foot-and mouth disease infections are also on the rise.
Park Se-young has more.
In the second to last week of April, of every one thousand outpatients, an average of 44-point-two had a suspected case of the flu.
According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this is the highest number for this period since 2004.
Of the suspected cases, six in ten were children under the age of 12, with symptoms including a high fever over 38 degrees Celsius and body aches.
It's an infection that spreads easily, especially in confined spaces.
"Kids are normally told they can go back to school 48 hours after their fever has come down and they're off their medicine. But if possible, it helps for them to avoid contact with their friends and stay home for five days."
The number of flu cases normally tends to go down in April.
In fact, in March and April over the last 15 years, the number of suspected cases has never surpassed 40 per one-thousand people.
Despite the uptrend, doctors do not recommend getting flu vaccines immediately, since they take two to three weeks to take effect.
Meanwhile, what's usually more commmon in the warmer months is hand-foot-and-mouth disease, and the number of cases has indeed been rising.
From the last week of March to April, more than two in every thousand outpatients were suspected of having the virus, …which typically affects young children and babies.
Those with symptoms like a rash or sores in the mouth, on the palms or on the soles of the feet, as well as flu-like symptoms, are advised to avoid contact with others and stay home.
The infection usually goes away on its own in about 7 to 10 days, …but patients with high fever and frequent vomiting must seek medical treatment.
Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is spread through unwashed hands, saliva, mucus and fluids from open rashes or sores.
To prevent infection, people should wash their hands often with soap and warm water, disinfect frequently touched surfaces …and avoid close contact with infected people.
Park Se-young, Arirang News.
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