Health officials scrambling to tackle both COVID-19 and flu
Medical staff and employees of Severance Hospital in western Seoul wait in lines to go through coronavirus testing, Thursday, after an infection cluster involving hospital employees and patients was reported. / Yonhap
By Jun Ji-hye
Health authorities here are rushing to tackle both COVID-19 and seasonal influenza as the onset of cooler weather is raising fears over a so-called “twindemic” that refers to the overlap of flu season and a possible surge in coronavirus cases this fall and winter, officials said Thursday.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) has already confirmed several domestic cases in which patients were infected both with COVID-19 and the flu, according to its director.
“There have been some patients who tested positive for the two kinds of virus at the same time,” KCDC Director Jung Eun-kyeong said during a briefing. “We will explain later after confirming more details.”
Reports of patients being infected with the two viruses simultaneously have already arisen in countries in the Southern Hemisphere, as its winter season draws to an end.
“Though rates are low, one patient can be infected with two viruses simultaneously,” Jung said, noting that the KCDC is analyzing cases that have occurred in other countries as well.
According to the KCDC, the country added 155 COVID-19 cases, including 141 locally transmitted infections, on Wednesday, raising the total caseload to 21,743. Two more deaths were reported, with the death toll rising to 346
The authorities said it is not easy to distinguish COVID-19 from the flu because of the similar symptoms such as a sore throat and fever.
As part of efforts to brace for the possibility of a severe flu season coinciding with a surge in COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has approved a clinical trial of a multi-diagnostic kit that can simultaneously detect the COVID-19 virus and influenza infection.
If approved, the test kit is expected to shorten the time in receiving test results, compared to when two separate tests are carried out.
Amid growing concerns over the “twindemic,” controversy is arising about the scope of residents able to access free influenza vaccinations.
The government said some 19 million people including children and adolescents aged from six months to 18 years, pregnant women and those aged 62 and over can get a vaccination against influenza for free this year.
The number of people subject to free vaccinations increased from 13.8 million last year.
Opposition parties, however, are claiming that the government should earmark a supplementary budget to vaccinate everyone in the country against the flu.
“The overlap of flu season and a surge in COVID-19 cases will make matters worse,” Rep. Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the main opposition People Power Party, said during a party meeting. “Influenza vaccination will help better stem the spread of COVID-19.”
Despite the argument of the opposition parties, the government clung to its original position that those in the high-risk group, who are more likely to have complications when infected with flu, should have priority to receive vaccination, citing a possible shortage in vaccine supply.
“There are several antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu, whose remedial effects to treat flu patients have been confirmed. Thus, we conclude that there would be no need for the entire 50 million to get a vaccination against flu,” said Kwon Joon-wook, deputy director at the Central Disease Control Headquarters.