How to deal with the COVID-19 variant's resurgence and infection?
Sep 01, 2024
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Hong Jin-young, director of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Sejong Hospital in Incheon, said "The sub-displacement (KP.3) of the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus is leading the trend, and the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts that the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases will increase to the highest level last year."," he said.
Currently, the COVID-19 crisis stage is the lowest stage, 'attention'. The legal quarantine obligation has disappeared, and it is recommended to isolate until 24 hours after the main symptoms of COVID-19 improve. Medical institutions maintain isolation for five days from the date of symptoms. Regarding the recent trend, these quarantine guidelines remain unchanged.
◇Recommended recovery at home if infected with COVID-19, 'Attendance recognition' is possible
Students who have started school in earnest are also not obligated to quarantine even if they are infected with COVID-19. However, it is recommended to rest at home as much as possible to recover quickly and prevent the spread of infection.
According to the 「COVID-19 infection prevention rules」 announced by the Ministry of Education on the 16th, students infected with COVID-19 are advised not to go to school if they have a high fever or severe respiratory symptoms and to recover their health at home.
You can go to school from the day after the symptoms disappear, and the Ministry of Education ordered that if you were unable to go to school due to infection, you should handle 'attendance recognition absent'. At this time, you are required to submit one of the medical certificate, doctor's note, and medical certificate, but individual confirmation is necessary because each school may require different documents.
◇If symptoms persist or you have difficulty breathing, visit a medical institution immediately
If you have symptoms such as fever, cough, and sore throat, you should take a self-kit test for COVID-19 and take a rest while refraining from contacting others as much as possible.
Healthy adults under the age of 60 can observe the progress by administering antipyretics and antitussive drugs if their whole body condition is good. However, if symptoms persist for a long time or are accompanied by loss of consciousness or difficulty breathing, you should immediately visit a medical institution for treatment.
If you have an underlying disease or take certain drugs, if suspected symptoms of COVID-19 occur, special treatment takes precedence. Subjects are patients over 60 years of age or have underlying diseases such as chronic lung disease, high blood pressure, cardio-cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, obesity (body mass index of more than 30kg/㎡), chronic kidney disease, chronic liver disorder, immunosuppressive status, and active cancer. In these cases, antiviral drugs can be prescribed.
Treatment for COVID-19 includes injections and edible treatments. The medical staff decides which drug to choose according to the patient's individual condition. Eating treatments are effective only when administered within five days of symptom onset, and the sooner the medication begins, the better.
◇High-risk groups such as the elderly and underlying patients, especially 'Cautionary needs'
From the end of 2021 to early 2022, when the delta variant was prevalent, the proportion of severely ill patients was high due to the nature of the virus. Fortunately, the Omicron variant, which has been prevalent since then, has more mild infections.
Director Hong Jin-young said, "This COVID-19 epidemic is unlikely to have a high proportion of severe patients due to omicron sub-displacement." "Special attention is needed as it can cause severe diseases in high-risk groups such as the elderly or those with underlying diseases."
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