SEASONAL FLU SPREADS FAST

[Anchor Lead]

The seasonal flu seems to be spreading fast in Korea lately, raising concerns about a twindemic as the COVID-19 situation still remains alarming.

[Pkg]

A pediatric clinic in Seoul. It's crowded with coughing patients and those suffering from fever.

[Soundbite] (Parent of child with respiratory illness) : "My child has a runny nose, severe cough and a fever of 39 degrees."

The number of patients with suspected symptoms of influenza surged about 45 percent from the previous week, reaching 7.1 per one thousand out-patients. More than 12 per one thousand out-patients suspected to have the flu are children aged one to six. The figure spiked by more than 53 percent.

[Soundbite] Song Jong-geun(Pediatrician) : "Young children and infants are prone to sudden mass outbreaks because hygiene control is difficult at daycare centers, schools and kindergartens."

The COVID-19 outbreak is declining, but the number of new cases reported on Thursday surpassed 26,000. New virus variants such as the BF.7 are also on the rise.

[Soundbite] Lim Suk-young(Central Disease Control HQs) : "The BA.5 and BA.4 subvariants are on the rise in Germany, France and Belgium. Their percentage keeps growing there."

Authorities urge the public to follow personal hygiene rules such as hand washing, as various respiratory infectious diseases could be spreading simultaneously. However, a public poll shows only 66.3 percent of the people wash their hands after using the bathroom. That's about 9%p less than a year ago. Some 61,000 people got their shots on the first day of additional winter-season vaccination on Tuesday. Adapted vaccines targeting the Omicron variant are currently being provided in the nation. Free influenza shots, which were first administered to children and pregnant women, are now available to the elderly aged 75 and up. Those 70 and older can receive flu shots from October 17. People aged 65 and up will be eligible from October 20.