Flu Patient Develops Pneumonia
A 20-year-old solider has contracted pneumonia after being infected with the influenza A virus, raising concerns that the new flu might become a life-threatening disease here.
He was admitted to a state-run hospital after complaining of flu-like symptoms on June 21 and was diagnosed with pneumonia four days later, the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs said Thursday.
After his condition briefly deteriorated, he is now making a quick recovery, it said.
It is the first time in South Korea that an influenza A patient has developed complications. Most flu patients have shown fever, coughing and other mild symptoms, and recovered after receiving antibiotic treatment.
Pneumonia is a common complication among influenza patients and is responsible for the majority of flu-related deaths. The government is cooperating with military authorities to verify how the soldier contracted the virus in a bid to track down those came into contact with him.