S. Korea confirms 38 more Influenza A cases

SEOUL, July 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korean health authorities said Monday they have
confirmed an additional 38 cases of Influenza A, raising the number of infections
in the country to 865.
The new patients include 19 students of an elementary school who were believed to
have caught the H1N1 virus without making overseas trips or coming into known
contact with other infected people, the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family
Affairs said.
With cases of "community transmission" rising rapidly, the tally is expected to
top 900 soon, the ministry said, adding it will shift the focus of its anti-flu
measures from prevention to treatment.
"The new countermeasures against the flu will be determined Monday in a meeting
of officials from related ministries," Jeon Byung-ryul, head of the Korea Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention.
As of Monday morning, a total of 154 people remained in isolation for treatment,
with the other confirmed patients having been discharged from hospitals as they
showed no further flu symptoms. No deaths have been reported here.
Concerns are growing that the disease may become more widespread as the number of
reported infections is rising fast.
In a precautionary move, the government earlier said it has set aside 174.8
billion won (US$139.3 million) to secure enough vaccines to inoculate around 27
percent of the nation's population against the flu virus. The vaccines will be
available beginning in November, ahead of the winter flu season, it added.
The World Health Organization has said that the H1N1 virus is the fastest-moving
pandemic ever and that it is now pointless to count every case, according to
reports.
ygkim@yna.co.kr
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