Influenza Diagnosis: Patients Without Ventilation and Protective Gear Will Be Sent to Screening Clinics

Central Disease Control Headquarters Establishes Standard Infection Prevention Guidelines for Medical Institutions
"Part of Preparedness for Concurrent COVID-19 and Influenza Outbreaks"

On the 21st, academy instructors in the district are undergoing diagnostic tests at a temporary screening clinic for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) installed in front of the Daechi 2-dong Community Service Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Gangnam-gu, Seoul, is conducting comprehensive COVID-19 testing on about 20,000 academy instructors in the district at a rate of one thousand people per day. This measure was taken as anxiety grew in the academy community after one instructor at a large entrance exam academy in Daechi-dong tested positive the day before, ahead of the College Scholastic Ability Test. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] Health authorities have decided to establish and distribute separate preventive guidelines to ensure that no additional infections occur during the diagnosis and treatment of suspected infectious disease patients, such as influenza (flu), at frontline medical institutions. This measure aims to prevent creating environments with a high risk of infection during medical consultations, and if it is difficult to follow the guidelines, patients will be directed to screening clinics.

On the 21st, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency announced that it has prepared the "Standard Infection Prevention Guidelines for General Medical Institutions (Draft)" and plans to distribute them as soon as possible. For patients suspected of having the flu, such as those with fever or respiratory symptoms, it is recommended to make an appointment by phone in advance before visiting the medical institution. The medical institutions are also requested to stagger appointment times considering waiting areas.

The guidelines focus on minimizing the possibility of transmission at each stage, including reception, waiting, and consultation. Upon entering the medical institution and during reception, fever checks will be conducted, transparent partitions will be installed at reception desks, or staff will wear face shields. Patients waiting are required to maintain a distance of at least 1 meter, and for patients with fever, partitions will be installed to separate their movement paths.

During consultations, examinations or procedures that generate droplets should be avoided. Medical examinations such as interviews, auscultation, and visual inspection should be conducted while the patient keeps their mask on. Many places use rapid diagnostic kits that take about 10 minutes for influenza testing. If influenza testing or other aerosol-generating procedures are necessary, they should be conducted in a well-ventilated separate space while wearing four types of protective equipment. If it is difficult to adhere to these principles, patients should be guided to receive tests at screening clinics according to the guidelines.

The reason health authorities are putting effort into suppressing the flu outbreak is due to ongoing concerns about the resurgence of COVID-19. Both infectious diseases show similar outward symptoms, making it difficult to distinguish between them when patients with fever or cough visit frontline medical institutions. If infection prevention guidelines are not properly followed, there is a high possibility of in-hospital transmission, which is a concern for the authorities.

Since there are vaccines and treatments available for the flu, proactive measures will be fully mobilized compared to the past. Starting from mid-next month, regardless of the outbreak status, health insurance will be applied when prescribing antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu to high-risk suspected patients. If the number of patients increases, the scope of health insurance coverage may be expanded. Also, by next month, diagnostic kits capable of simultaneously diagnosing COVID-19 and influenza will be supplied to the market.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.