Sejong Health and Environment Research Institute Advances Forecasting and Surveillance of 47 Statutory Infectious Diseases

[Asia Economy (Sejong) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] The Sejong City Health and Environment Research Institute announced on the 27th that it will fully operate an infectious disease outbreak prediction system starting next year.

The Health and Environment Research Institute will establish its own confirmation diagnostic system for 47 legally designated infectious diseases starting next year and operate an infectious disease outbreak prediction system based on laboratory data to monitor and disseminate the status of infectious disease outbreaks in real time.

Previously, the city’s Health and Environment Research Institute officially began diagnostic work for 29 legally designated infectious diseases in December last year, and this year, it received official certification from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency for its confirmation diagnostic capability for 47 legally designated infectious diseases, including COVID-19.

Building on this, the city’s Health and Environment Research Institute has been operating a 24-hour service since January to provide COVID-19 test results to citizens.

In particular, as a result of a pilot project conducted in October in cooperation with local medical institutions to monitor pathogens for eight types of acute respiratory infections, it was recently confirmed that respiratory diseases caused by rhinovirus are currently spreading.

Yeosang-gu, head of the Infectious Disease Research Division, said, “As respiratory infectious diseases caused by COVID-19 and rhinovirus are currently spreading, we urge citizens to thoroughly maintain personal hygiene and health management,” adding, “The city’s Health and Environment Research Institute will continue to expand the testing items for legally designated infectious diseases and do its best to respond to infectious diseases.”

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