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Steep rise in flu cases slows
  • By Lee Min-ju
  • Published 2018.01.16 11:14
  • Updated 2018.01.16 11:14
  • comments 0

The steep rise in flu cases in late last year has slowed this month, government data showed Monday. The nation had suffered a nine-fold surge in flu cases in December from the previous month.

According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s weekly tracking of infectious diseases, 72.1 patients out of 1,000 outpatients had the flu in the first week of 2018 (between Dec. 31 and Jan. 6), inching up only by 0.3 from 71.8 in the last week of 2017 (between Dec. 24 and Dec. 30).

(Source: Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Influenza cases had continued to go up since the health authorities issued a flu warning on Dec. 1. However, the rapid increase entered into a gentle maintenance curve in the first week of this year.

The slower pace of growth in flu cases this year is in stark contrast to last year’s flu season when influenza cases plunged to less than 40 patients per 1,000 outpatients in the first week of 2017 from 86.2 in the last week of 2016.

By type, influenza with B virus took up more than half of all influenza cases. Among the locally detected 749 influenza viruses, 409 cases (54.61 percent) were type B influenza, 294 (39.25 percent) were type A (H3N2), and 46 (6.14 percent), type A (H1N1) pdm09.

Although the sharp increase slowed down, those in a high-risk group -- including young children and the elderly aged more than 65 who are more likely to be admitted due to influenza infection -- should see a doctor and receive proper treatment as soon as possible, the KCDC noted.

minju9minju@docdocdoc.co.kr

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