South Korea saw a rapid rise in influenza cases in the last week of October, data showed Friday, as 2025-26 flu season started some two months earlier than last year
The number of patients showing influenza symptoms in the 44th week of this year (Oct. 26-Nov. 1) was 22.8 per 1,000 patients, up 67.6 percent from 13.6 the previous week, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The state-run disease control body defines influenza cases of 9.1 per 1,000 as the threshold for national epidemic.
Recorded influenza cases had already reached 12.1 per 1,000 in the 40th week (Sept. 28-Oct. 4) and has been on an upward trend since, prompting the KDCA to issue an influenza warning on Oct. 17. Last year's influenza warning was issued on Dec. 20.
Just 3.9 patients with influenza-like symptoms per 1,000 were recorded in the 44th week of 2024, substantially less than the same period this year.
The number of influenza patients per 1,000 receded to 7.9 in the 42nd week (Oct. 12-18), but jumped back to 13.6 the following week. The figure for the 43rd week was already 3.5 times higher than cases recorded over the same period in 2024 (3.9), and the latest data indicates that the number of influenza patients are climbing.
The KDCA predicts that the 2025-26 flu season will follow a similar pattern to that of 2024-25, which saw a rapid increase in patients after the nationwide warning was issued in mid-December. The 2024-25 flu season peaked at 99.8 influenza patients per 1,000 between Dec. 29, 2024 and Jan. 4, 2025, which was the highest figure in the past 10 years.
Health authorities have speculated that this flu season is likely to be as widespread as the previous one, and possibly sustained for a longer period of time.
The data revealed a particularly high rate of influenza patients among children and adolescents. Among patients aged 7-12, 68.4 influenza cases were recorded per 1,000. The figure for children aged 1-6 was 40.6 while that for teens aged 13-18 was 34.4.
A total of 175 people were admitted to hospitals for influenza in the 44th week of this year, up 78.6 percent compared to the previous week. Patients admitted for COVID-19 also increased by 11.8 percent in the same period to 199.
The KDCA advised the public to be vaccinated for respiratory illnesses. Children between the age of six months and 13, pregnant women, and people aged 65 and above are eligible for free influenza vaccinations.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
