Eighteen more people have died in South Korea from the influenza A (H1N1) virus, raising the country's total death toll from the new flu to 82, according to health authorities Wednesday.

An 11-year-old girl and a 42-year-old man died after being diagnosed with the H1N1 virus, officials from the central disaster relief headquarters said. Both of them were not classified as being in the high-risk category and were given anti-viral medication.

Sixteen others, including a 34-year-old man who had a previous illness, were classified as high-risk patients.

Out of the 82 who died from new flu, 69 patients were classified as high-risk and 13 others were not.

Nevertheless, flu infections and deaths have been on a decrease.

The number of flu deaths hit a climax with 24 in the Oct. 25-31 week but the figure fell to 19 in the Nov. 1-7 week, 16 in the Nov. 8-14 week. There was none since Nov. 15.