'One Hundred Days' Spread Warning...Korean Children's Hospital Association "It is contagious and needs countermeasures"

Jul 15, 2024

Data source=Ansplash

It has been confirmed that whooping cough, which occurred sporadically in only some regions earlier this year, has spread nationwide as of June. In particular, the incidence of cases increased sharply in June.

This fact was revealed through an analysis of the current status of whooping cough treatment at 50 children's hospitals, which were conducted and answered by the Korea Children's Hospital Association on 117 member hospitals nationwide from July 8 to 13.

According to the survey, the number of patients with whooping cough in January by region was few or very small, except in the Yeongnam area, the metropolitan area, the Chungcheong area, and the Honam area as a whole

It can be seen that the number of patients in the Yeongnam region has been somewhat generated.

In addition, in June, it was clear that the spread of whooping cough infection was confirmed nationwide in the metropolitan area, Yeongnam area, Chungcheong area, and Honam area.

In the metropolitan area, there were no or fewer than five patients with whooping cough, but 7.7% of them had more than 50 patients.

In Chungcheong Province, more than 20 patients visited 22.2%. Fortunately, the number of patients in the Honam region has not increased significantly yet.

However, the frequency of more than 33 people visiting the Yeongnam area was very high, reaching 33.3%.

Based on the proportion of whooping cough patients, these statistics are analyzed that the metropolitan area, the Yeongnam area, and the Chungcheong area are in an emergency state of whooping cough due to the spread of infection.

In particular, when asked about the increase in the number of whooping cough patients compared to the previous year, 52%, or more than half, answered more than 300%, adding to the seriousness of the national infection with whooping cough (see Table 3)

Choi Yong-jae, president of the Korea Children's Hospital Association (head of the Medical Government's Strong Children's Hospital), coughs for more than 14 days with symptoms such as a sound, seizures, and vomiting. The cough is so severe that the face becomes red, eyes become bloodshot, vomiting is accompanied by coughing, and sticky mucinous phlegm is sometimes produced. Apnea, cyanosis, non-bleeding, subdural hemorrhage, and lower eyelid edema can be seen."

In addition, the younger the age, the higher the mortality rate. Whooping cough is more contagious than other childhood infectious diseases. Patients need respiratory isolation for five days after starting antibiotic treatment, and if they do not start antibiotic treatment, they should isolate for three weeks after starting coughing. Above all, if close contact with the patient is inevitable through cooperation between schools and kindergartens, health authorities, and medical institutions, the spread should be prevented by preemptive measures including the use of preventive antibiotics regardless of age, vaccination history, and symptoms," he stressed.

Chairman Choi then said, `If you have symptoms of leukemia, you must visit a pediatric medical institution, including a children's hospital, and provide early treatment," he added.

Meanwhile, out of the 50 children's hospitals that revealed the current status of whooping cough treatment, there are 13 in the metropolitan area, 15 in the Yeongnam area, 9 in the Chungcheong area, and 13 in the Honam area.