Post by Nadica (She/Her) on Jul 29, 2024 1:40:35 GMT
Korea reports triple surge in hospitalized Covid-19 patients amid pertussis, mycoplasma pneumonia outbreaks - Published July 26, 2024 - By: Lee Han-soo
The number of hospitalized Covid-19 patients has surged approximately 3.5 times over the past four weeks (fourth week of June to third week of July), with significant outbreaks of pertussis and mycoplasma pneumonia occurring simultaneously, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported on Friday.
The KDCA emphasized the importance of adhering to summer respiratory infection prevention measures, such as handwashing, proper coughing etiquette, and ventilating indoor spaces during the summer months.
Since Covid-19 was reclassified as a Category 4 monitored infectious disease in August of last year, the KDCA has been tracking patient data from 220 hospitals with over 200 beds.
Although hospitalizations peaked in the first week of February and then declined, a rising trend has been observed since the fourth week of June, with weekly hospitalizations increasing from 63 to 225 by the third week of July.
Individuals aged 65 and older accounted for 64.9 percent of all hospitalizations, followed by those aged 50-64 (18.5 percent) and 19-49 (10.2 percent).
The rise in hospitalizations has coincided with an increase in the Covid-19 detection rate, which climbed to 17 percent in the third week of July, up from 6.4 percent in June.
Regarding Omicron subvariants, the prevalence of JN.1 has decreased to 19.5 percent, a drop of 39.8 percentage points since June. In contrast, the KP.3 variant, which is spreading globally, has surged to 39.8 percent, an increase of 27.78 percentage points.
The KP.2 variant also saw a rise to 16.1 percent, up by 10.4 percentage points.
"While the World Health Organization (WHO) is monitoring KP.3 due to its global rise, it remains classified as Omicron," the KDCA said. "There is a slight increase in immune evasion, but no reports indicate increased transmissibility or severity."
KDCA Commissioner Jee Young-mee also stressed that the KP.3 variant, while increasing in prevalence, has yet to show higher transmissibility or severity.
"The government plans to analyze patient occurrence trends and continue variant monitoring," Jee said. "This includes promoting respiratory infection prevention measures, especially in vulnerable facilities like nursing homes, and conducting swift epidemiological investigations in the event of outbreaks to ensure thorough response to Covid-19."
The KDCA also plans to introduce new vaccines that can respond to emerging variants and begin the 2024-2025 Covid-19 vaccination campaign in October, Jee added.
Alongside the rise in Covid-19 cases, pertussis, also known as whooping cough, has been spreading primarily among children and adolescents over the past four weeks. As of July 20, 13,545 cases, including suspected cases, have been reported, with 92.5 percent occurring in individuals aged seven-19.
Mycoplasma pneumonia infections, for which the government raised the alert level on June 24, have also shown a sudden surge.
Over the past four weeks, the number of hospitalized patients has fluctuated, with 641 patients in the fourth week of June, 573 in the first week of July, 567 in the second week of July, and 738 in the third week of July.
During that time period, children aged seven-12 constituted 51.6 percent of all hospitalized cases (2,519 patients), with those aged one-six and 13-18 comprising 27 percent and 10.3 percent, respectively.
"As summer activities increase and indoor ventilation decreases due to air conditioner use, the risk of respiratory infections rises," Jee said. "We urge everyone to practice good hygiene, receive timely pertussis vaccinations, and follow preventive measures to ensure a healthy and safe summer."
The number of hospitalized Covid-19 patients has surged approximately 3.5 times over the past four weeks (fourth week of June to third week of July), with significant outbreaks of pertussis and mycoplasma pneumonia occurring simultaneously, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported on Friday.
The KDCA emphasized the importance of adhering to summer respiratory infection prevention measures, such as handwashing, proper coughing etiquette, and ventilating indoor spaces during the summer months.
Since Covid-19 was reclassified as a Category 4 monitored infectious disease in August of last year, the KDCA has been tracking patient data from 220 hospitals with over 200 beds.
Although hospitalizations peaked in the first week of February and then declined, a rising trend has been observed since the fourth week of June, with weekly hospitalizations increasing from 63 to 225 by the third week of July.
Individuals aged 65 and older accounted for 64.9 percent of all hospitalizations, followed by those aged 50-64 (18.5 percent) and 19-49 (10.2 percent).
The rise in hospitalizations has coincided with an increase in the Covid-19 detection rate, which climbed to 17 percent in the third week of July, up from 6.4 percent in June.
Regarding Omicron subvariants, the prevalence of JN.1 has decreased to 19.5 percent, a drop of 39.8 percentage points since June. In contrast, the KP.3 variant, which is spreading globally, has surged to 39.8 percent, an increase of 27.78 percentage points.
The KP.2 variant also saw a rise to 16.1 percent, up by 10.4 percentage points.
"While the World Health Organization (WHO) is monitoring KP.3 due to its global rise, it remains classified as Omicron," the KDCA said. "There is a slight increase in immune evasion, but no reports indicate increased transmissibility or severity."
KDCA Commissioner Jee Young-mee also stressed that the KP.3 variant, while increasing in prevalence, has yet to show higher transmissibility or severity.
"The government plans to analyze patient occurrence trends and continue variant monitoring," Jee said. "This includes promoting respiratory infection prevention measures, especially in vulnerable facilities like nursing homes, and conducting swift epidemiological investigations in the event of outbreaks to ensure thorough response to Covid-19."
The KDCA also plans to introduce new vaccines that can respond to emerging variants and begin the 2024-2025 Covid-19 vaccination campaign in October, Jee added.
Alongside the rise in Covid-19 cases, pertussis, also known as whooping cough, has been spreading primarily among children and adolescents over the past four weeks. As of July 20, 13,545 cases, including suspected cases, have been reported, with 92.5 percent occurring in individuals aged seven-19.
Mycoplasma pneumonia infections, for which the government raised the alert level on June 24, have also shown a sudden surge.
Over the past four weeks, the number of hospitalized patients has fluctuated, with 641 patients in the fourth week of June, 573 in the first week of July, 567 in the second week of July, and 738 in the third week of July.
During that time period, children aged seven-12 constituted 51.6 percent of all hospitalized cases (2,519 patients), with those aged one-six and 13-18 comprising 27 percent and 10.3 percent, respectively.
"As summer activities increase and indoor ventilation decreases due to air conditioner use, the risk of respiratory infections rises," Jee said. "We urge everyone to practice good hygiene, receive timely pertussis vaccinations, and follow preventive measures to ensure a healthy and safe summer."