Flu Outbreak Declining... Pediatrics Department: "Still 70 Patients Waiting One Hour Before Opening"

Pediatric Specialist: "While Daily Recovery Is a Reason, Pediatric Clinic Closures Have a Major Impact"

[Asia Economy Reporter Byeon Seon-jin] Although the flu epidemic has shifted to a decline since January, pediatric clinics are still crowded with children suffering from high fever and their guardians. While there were almost no flu patients in 2020-2021, the number surged last year due to eased quarantine measures, but pediatric clinics have seen a decrease since then.

Pediatric Clinic Crowded Due to Flu
Photo by Yonhap News

The Increasing Trend of Flu Patients Has Reversed This Year

According to the flu sentinel surveillance statistics from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on the 16th, the number of influenza-like illness (ILI) patients in the first week of January (1st?7th) was 52.5 per 1,000 outpatients, down by 8.2 (13.5%) from 60.7 per 1,000 in the previous week (December 25?31, 2022). ILI patients include those who have not tested positive for influenza but exhibit suspected flu symptoms such as high fever above 38℃, cough, and sore throat. Between January 1 and 7, 52 to 53 out of every 1,000 visitors to hospitals and clinics showed suspected flu symptoms. Analysis of 296 respiratory specimens from suspected flu patients revealed that 29.4% tested positive for influenza, all of which were the dominant A-type H3N2 virus.

This is the first time in 12 weeks since October 16?22 last year (9.3 per 1,000) that the number of ILI patients has declined. Since the flu usually peaks in January, many expect the downward trend to continue. However, the number of suspected flu patients remains high at 10.7 times the epidemic threshold of 4.9 per 1,000. This is even higher than the 49.1 per 1,000 recorded in the first week of 2020 when COVID-19 was not present in Korea.

Pediatric Clinics Still Crowded... Specialist Says “60?70 Patients Waiting One Hour Before Consultation”

Pediatric clinics remain busy. On the morning of the 14th, a weekend, Yu (38) visited a pediatric clinic in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, and had to wait nearly an hour with her 4-year-old child before receiving treatment. Yu said, “If the pediatric clinic opens at 9 a.m., you need to arrive at least 30 minutes earlier to get a morning consultation.” Looking at the age distribution of ILI patients, the rates are 80.1 per 1,000 for ages 0?6, 138.7 per 1,000 for ages 7?12, and 99.2 per 1,000 for ages 13?18, indicating particularly rapid flu spread among infants, young children, and adolescents.

Dr. Park Eok, a pediatrician running Mujigae Children’s Hospital in Daegu, said, “Patients start taking numbered tickets from 8 a.m., one hour before consultation, and usually 70 patients register within an hour. Patients arriving at 9 a.m. often cannot be seen, which causes difficulties.” He pointed out, “During the COVID-19 period, many pediatric clinics closed, reducing medical supply.” Dr. Park added, “Many of my colleagues who trained with me have left pediatrics due to reduced consultations over the two years of the pandemic, with some closing their clinics. Many switch to family medicine or work as general practitioners.”

At frontline pharmacies, a shortage of the antiviral flu medication Tamiflu has occurred, prompting the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency to supply 787,000 doses from government reserves starting on the 9th. Before COVID-19, the usual market supply of Tamiflu during flu seasons was about 2 million doses, but current pharmaceutical stock is down 37.5% to about 1.25 million doses. Director Park said, “Since last fall, as daily life resumed, the number of flu patients suddenly increased, leading to more Tamiflu prescriptions. However, because there were almost no flu patients during the two years of the COVID-19 outbreak, pharmaceutical companies reduced production, causing a mismatch between supply and demand.”