Concerns over a resurgence of respiratory infectious diseases ahead of the start of school ↑…What are the test methods for distinguishing between flu and other diseases?
Feb 25, 2025
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According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), the number of suspected flu patients per 1,000 outpatients who visited 300 flu sample monitoring medical institutions nationwide in the seventh week of this year (Feb. 9-15) is 11.6, which has been on the decline for six consecutive weeks since peaking (99.8) in the first week of January.
The number of suspected patients in the 7th week of this year is lower than 24.3 in the same period last year, but it is still higher than the 8.6 season standard.
Moreover, it is pointed out that it is too early to feel relieved that the number of flu patients may increase again, especially among school-age children and adolescents who live in groups after school starts next month. Type B flu is often prevalent after February, so it is necessary to pay attention to the possibility of a resurgence.
In addition, various respiratory viruses, such as RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) or hMPV (human metapneumovirus), can be infected at any time regardless of the season. These viral respiratory infectious diseases have similar symptoms to colds, making it difficult to distinguish them visually, but appropriate diagnosis and treatment are more important than anything else because treatment varies depending on the cause.
First of all, influenza, called 'flu', is an acute respiratory disease caused by influenza virus infection. Influenza viruses are classified into types A, B, and C according to their nucleic acid and protein composition. Among them, type A is the most common flu-causing virus and has many mutations, making it highly contagious and can cause a winter pandemic. Type B occurs locally compared to type A, and symptoms are often mild. In particular, if you look at the trend of flu in Korea, from February to April, type B influenza is prevalent, and special attention is needed because there is a possibility of a resurgence of the flu.
In addition, various viral respiratory infections occur throughout the year. Typically, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is a major cause of bronchiolitis or pneumonia in infants and toddlers, most commonly occurring in infants and toddlers between 6 months and less than 2 years of age. It shows cold-like symptoms such as runny nose, cough, sneezing, and mild fever in the early stages, and in severe cases, it can lead to severe respiratory infections. HMPV (human metapneumovirus) also has symptoms such as coughing and fever, mainly in infants, the elderly, and immunocompromised people, and has a high risk of developing severe pneumonia. In addition, there are various respiratory viruses such as boca virus, adenovirus, and parainfluenza virus.
Viruses that cause respiratory infectious diseases are very diverse, but most of them show cold-like symptoms, making it difficult to identify the cause clinically. Because the symptoms are similar, if left as a simple cold, serious complications such as pneumonia can occur, and in severe cases, life can be dangerous. In addition, since each causative virus has different transmission power and severity and different treatments, it is very important to identify the causative bacteria through accurate diagnosis.
Recently, a 'respiratory infection test' that can quickly detect 19 types of respiratory viruses and 6 types of pneumonia causative bacteria by simultaneously detecting multiple pathogens with a single test has attracted attention. The respiratory infection test simultaneously detects major respiratory viruses using real-time gene amplification (Real-time PCR) equipment in the examinee's sputum, oropharynx, and nasopharynx smears. Along with 19 respiratory viruses, including rhinovirus, enterovirus, coronavirus, boca virus, and adenovirus, six pneumonia causative bacteria, including Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Legionella pneumophila, can be detected at once.
Song Sung-wook, a specialist in diagnostic laboratory medicine at the GC Green Cross Medical Foundation, said, `Recently, the flu of type A and B has been prevalent at the same time, and pneumonia deaths caused by the flu have increased awareness of respiratory infections"It can be easily overlooked with cold-like symptoms, but appropriate treatment through accurate early diagnosis is of paramount importance as it can lead to fatal results."
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
