People wait in line to receive tests at a makeshift COVID-19 testing station in Daegu, 237 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in this file photo taken Aug. 23, 2023. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
CHEONGJU, Oct. 20 (Korea Bizwire) – A warning has been issued that the so-called ‘twindemic,’ which refers to the concurrent occurrence of both the flu and COVID-19, is expected to start next month.
Health professionals recommend that to stay healthy during the winter season and reduce the risk of infectious diseases, it is important to establish immunity by receiving both flu and COVID-19 vaccinations.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced on Wednesday that it will launch a preventive vaccination program for the COVID-19 Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 for the 2023-2024 winter season on Thursday.
The vaccines for this winter season are the XBB1.5 COVID-19 variant vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna. Pfizer and Moderna received emergency use approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on September 12 and 26, respectively, for their COVID-19 variant vaccines. Both of these vaccines are mRNA-based.
According to health authorities and the medical community, there is a high likelihood that influenza and COVID-19 will both be prevalent during this winter season.
Dr. Song Joon-young, a professor of infectious diseases at the Korea University College of Medicine, stated, “An analysis of the KDCA’s surveillance data shows that although the COVID-19 virus is prevalent throughout the year, it tends to worsen during the late autumn and winter. The trend where both influenza and the COVID-19 virus prevail is likely to start in November and worsen in December and January.”
Even though the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic has increased national fatigue and reduced the sense of caution as it transitions into an endemic phase, special care is essential due to the increased risk of co-infection with influenza and COVID-19.
Dr. Song mentioned that if individuals are infected with both influenza and COVID-19 simultaneously, the risk of severe infection requiring respiratory support increases by 2.3 times, and the likelihood of hospitalization in intensive care units rises by 2.1 times.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
