Reemergence of whooping cough in elementary, middle, and high schools... As of November, 140 confirmed cases in Guri City

Whooping cough has been rapidly spreading nationwide since June, with a 183-fold increase compared to last year.

They also received an official document from the kids' school.

Whooping cough occurs especially in children under 12 years old and adolescents aged 13 to 19.

The initial symptoms are similar to a common cold, so they are often overlooked.

If you experience severe paroxysmal coughing and a 'huh' sound for 2 to 4 weeks, do not think it's just a cold.

Please make sure to visit the hospital~

 

 

On the 22nd, the city of Guri announced that it is responding with full effort to prevent the spread of whooping cough, which has recently shown a strong surge mainly among elementary, middle, and high schools, through thorough epidemiological investigations, management of confirmed cases, and strengthening close cooperation with facilities experiencing outbreaks.

Whooping cough has unusually continued a nationwide outbreak this year, with a 183-fold increase from last year starting in June.

According to the city, as of November, there have been approximately 140 confirmed cases, and especially in October alone, 65 cases were reported. This indicates that whooping cough, which had been in a lull during the summer vacation, is reemerging.

Whooping cough shows an incidence rate of 88.4% particularly in children under 12 years old and adolescents aged 13 to 19. The initial symptoms are similar to a common cold, but it is accompanied by severe paroxysmal coughing and a 'whoop' sound for 2 to 4 weeks.

National immunizations are administered in a total of six doses from 2 months of age to 12 years old, but recent surges are reported to be due to factors such as easy transmission in confined places like classrooms, decreased immunity after COVID-19, a sharp increase in testing due to the widespread use of PCR tests, and imported cases from abroad.

Preventive measures include vaccination, hand washing, cough etiquette, indoor ventilation, and wearing masks, and prompt visits to medical institutions are important if symptoms of suspicion occur.

The city is managing a total of 13 cluster cases that occurred mainly in schools and private academies, conducting on-site epidemiological investigations at the affected schools to check mask-wearing compliance, ventilation conditions, and regular disinfection status, while also recommending irregular disinfection measures. Additionally, it is working in cooperation with the school's health officials to prevent further confirmed cases within the schools.

In addition, a regional network connecting health centers, childcare facilities, schools, and medical institutions has been established to prevent infectious diseases, and efforts are being made to block the spread of various infectious diseases through close cooperation among practitioners at each institution.

Mayor Baek Kyung-hyun of Guri City stated, "In response to the rapid increase of whooping cough cases within the city compared to neighboring cities, counties, and districts, we will do our best to break the chain of infection spread by conducting in-depth epidemiological investigations to estimate the source of infection and identify the causes of the outbreak."

 

<Source: Moneyz>