Severe blood poisoning kills two celebs

Online streamer Lee Chi-hoon. Capture from Lee Chi-hoon's Instagram

By Dong Sun-hwa

Severe sepsis has killed two celebrities in two days.

Sepsis, also known as blood poisoning, is the body's extreme response to an infection. It can damage tissues and organs. The symptoms include fever, increased heartbeat and shortness of breath, among others.

Lee Chi-hoon, 32, an online streamer on Afreeca TV, died of severe sepsis on Thursday morning, according to his friends.

One of them wrote on his Instagram that Lee showed signs of lymphadenitis ― enlargement of the lymph nodes ― on March 10 and complained of high fever and vomiting on March 17. He tested negative for coronavirus the next day but was diagnosed with bacterial encephalitis ― inflammation of the brain ― and died of sepsis Thursday.

On March 13, Lee wrote on his YouTube channel and other platforms: “I have been seeing a doctor due to lymphadenitis and now I also suffer from strong fatigue. I hope I did not contract coronavirus. I am leaving this message through my cellphone because I do not have energy to move my computer mouse.”

He appeared on Comedy TV's 2009 variety program “Ulzzang Generation.”

Actor Moon Ji-yoon. Courtesy of Family ENT.

Lee's death came only a day after actor Moon Ji-yoon, 36, died of the same disease.

Moon was hospitalized on March 16 due to laryngopharyngitis ― inflammation of the larynx ― and was transferred to the intensive care unit after the illness triggered severe sepsis.

“He was not infected by coronavirus,” an official from Moon's agency Family ENT said Thursday.

The official said the actor did not go to hospital earlier due to virus fears. He reportedly treated himself at home.

Moon was buried on Friday.

He debuted on MBC TV series “Romance” in 2002 and featured in numerous works including KBS2's “Sassy Girl Chun hyang” (2005) and tvN's “Cheese in the Trap” (2016).