The rapid spread of mycoplasma pneumonia in China, particularly among children, has raised concerns in neighboring countries, including South Korea, India, and Taiwan. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 5 (Korea Bizwire) – In recent weeks, the rapid spread of mycoplasma pneumonia in China, particularly among children, has raised concerns in neighboring countries, including South Korea, India, and Taiwan. Medical professionals in South Korea are issuing warnings, suggesting that the response from local health authorities might be too lax, potentially leading to a crisis beyond the scale of previous outbreaks.
On December 4, the Korea Children’s Hospital Association (KCHA) issued an urgent statement, emphasizing the need for comprehensive government-level measures to prepare for mycoplasma pneumonia outbreak, urging not only personal hygiene practices such as handwashing but also proactive government initiatives akin to those implemented for COVID-19.
Mycoplasma pneumonia, caused by bacteria that trigger an acute respiratory infection, is managed as a Class 4 infectious disease in South Korea. The infection spreads through respiratory droplets when an infected person’s saliva reaches another person’s respiratory system. The bacteria lie dormant in the body for an average of two to three weeks before symptoms manifest. According to recent data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, children aged 1 to 12, including infants, accounted for 79.6 percent of hospitalized patients with mycoplasma pneumonia, with no vaccine currently available to prevent the disease.
The KCHA expressed concern about the potential shortage of essential medical staff for children, citing challenges faced in pediatric healthcare, including overcrowded emergency rooms and the surge in cases of various virus infections, such as influenza.
KCHA president Choi Yong-jae, who also serves as the director of the Tuntun Pediatric Clinic in Uijeongbu, stated, “Despite daily concerns among healthcare professionals, the government seems to be unaware of the suffering of patients and guardians due to the shortage of essential pediatric medical staff and the impact of COVID-19. I can’t help but feel that the government still hasn’t learned despite the pain caused by past incidents.”
Choi further criticized the government’s approach, stating, “Recent media reports show no discernible government strategy for mycoplasma pneumonia, only articles advising personal hygiene from health centers.”
Currently, countries like India and Taiwan are taking precautionary measures, including recommending against travel to China to prevent the influx of mycoplasma pneumonia. Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare has urged individuals, especially the elderly and those with weakened immune systems, not to visit China due to the rising incidence of respiratory diseases.
Choi has urged the government to apply a more focused approach in South Korea, asserting that the current healthcare system’s limitations could lead to significant challenges if a mycoplasma outbreak occurs domestically.
Choi emphasized that the government’s attention to mycoplasma should align with its monitoring and management of other infectious diseases, advocating for improvements in the monitoring system. He proposed including pediatric hospitals as part of the infectious disease surveillance infrastructure to ensure a more accurate representation of patient data.
In response, Yang Jin-seon, head of the Infectious Disease Management Division at the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, stated that mycoplasma infections typically have a low hospitalization rate, around 5 percent, making it a manageable disease with appropriate antibiotic treatment. Regarding the surveillance system, Yang highlighted its comprehensive nature, covering 13 types of acute respiratory infections, and argued that restricting it to pediatric hospitals would be challenging and impractical.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
