Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease Epidemic with 90.2% Infection Rate in Infants and Toddlers
Symptoms Appear 3-7 Days After Infection... Sometimes Spreading to Meningitis
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is spreading ahead of the summer vacation season. The infection rate among infants and young children (0-6 years old) is as high as 90%, causing families with young children to be on high alert.
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) on the 12th, 90.2% of all hand, foot, and mouth disease patients in the country last month were infants and young children. The total number of patients increased 2.3 times within a month.
Mouth of a child infected with hand, foot, and mouth disease Photo by Wikipedia
According to the KDCA’s sentinel surveillance, as of the second week of June, the number of hand, foot, and mouth disease patients per 1,000 outpatient visits was 34.1, showing a higher increase than in 2019, when the disease was highly prevalent.
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is characterized by blisters and ulcers in the mouth and blister-like rashes on the hands and feet. Red spots appear on the body, which are often mistaken for heat rash caused by hot and humid summer weather or marks from mosquito and insect bites.
The KDCA emphasized that if symptoms such as a rash accompanied by a high fever over 38 degrees Celsius, weakness in the limbs, vomiting, or seizures occur, one should promptly visit a medical institution.
Symptoms usually appear 3 to 7 days after infection, and the disease is highly contagious to the extent that if one child in a daycare or kindergarten is infected, the entire class is likely to be affected. Therefore, if hand, foot, and mouth disease is confirmed, children cannot return to daycare or kindergarten without a doctor’s certificate of full recovery.
Most patients recover within a week, but in severe cases, it can progress to meningitis.
Meanwhile, the number of parents giving up on travel plans due to confirmed diagnoses before trips is increasing, fearing disruptions to their schedules.
Choi (35), who has a 3-year-old son, told Korea Economic Daily in an interview, “A case of hand, foot, and mouth disease occurred at the daycare, so I am considering canceling our summer vacation. Last summer, my child contracted the disease twice and we had to give up our vacation. Although there are no symptoms yet, confirmed cases are emerging one by one around us, so it seems difficult to take a summer vacation this year as well.”
In the industry, as calls grow to reduce cancellation fees for unavoidable changes or cancellations due to infectious diseases or injuries, related promotional products are being launched to attract travelers.
One travel platform introduced a promotion that fully waives cancellation fees for health issues, transportation or weather problems, and even personal reasons. Insurance guaranteeing travel cancellation fees is also about to be launched.
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