Experts say Korea is overreacting to flu
Reported September 01, 2009
Korea is overreacting to the spread of the A(H1N1) virus, according to the head of a hospital that has treated the largest number of patients infected so far with the new flu.
Kim Jong-seok, head of Incheon Medical Center, said Korea is overly panicked and that the general public would be less anxious once people have the full story.
I was shocked to see even doctors express fear about the new flu, said Kim after participating in a meeting of 360 hospital officials to discuss government designation of hospitals capable of treating A(H1N1). I wanted to share my opinions but I couldnt say anything due to the grave atmosphere at the meeting.
The Incheon hospital is one of five state-designated hospitals equipped with negative pressure isolation rooms. Negative air pressure within a room causes air to flow into the room from the outside whenever a door or window is opened, thus preventing the spread of the virus.
The hospital has 25 isolation units including five negative pressure isolation rooms and has treated the largest number of A(H1N1) patients due to its geographic proximity to Seoul. Of the 290 people it has treated so far, only four to five remain hospitalized and others have returned home, he said.
None of the three deaths from the disease in Korea came from the hospital and only two were treated at an intensive care unit. I think theres some misunderstanding about the death and infection rates [of the new flu], he said.
Other experts agree the domestic situation with the flu is much better than in other countries. Out of 3,962 confirmed cases in Korea as of last Friday, three have died, a mortality rate of 0.08 percent, but the rate ranges between 1 and 1.5 percent even in developed countries such as the United States, Britain and Australia. The readings are still low compared to similar flu-like outbreaks in the recent past.
The mortality rate of Severe Acute Respiratory Symptom, or SARS, was 10 percent between 2002 and 2003, and avian influenza killed six out of 10 patients in 2005, according to the World Health Organization.
I would say we have been waging a winning battle against H1N1 flu, said Park Seung-cheol, head of the national committee for measures against the new virus.
Kim Wu-joo, a professor at Korea Universitys medical center, agreed. The governments easygoing handling of the disease at first has added to the ongoing panic but the current situation is not that serious, he said
Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry said yesterday it will allow men infected with the influenza or those suspected of contracting the disease to delay the start of their military service. Those set to be enlisted can select a date for recruitment after getting better, said a ministry spokesman.
According to the ministry, the number of confirmed A(H1N1) cases in the Korean military totaled 606 as of yesterday, of whom 482 have been released after treatment. The remaining 124 are currently hospitalized.
But the number of confirmed cases is expected to rise as an additional 120 soldiers are undergoing treatment for suspected symptoms at military hospitals and bases.
Source : JoongAng Daily