"School is about to start, what should we do?" Consecutive deaths during home treatment of infants and toddlers... Anxious parents

"Worried if children can be protected when severely ill," Frustrated Parents
Home Treatment Patients Near 600,000... Medical Staff Also at Limit
Unvaccinated Children Under 12 Have Weak Immunity
COVID-19 Cases per 100,000 in Ages 0-9 Highest Among All Age Groups
School Reopening in March May Lead to 'On-Campus Cluster Infections'

A child is undergoing a COVID-19 test at a screening clinic set up at the Chuncheon City Public Health Center in Gangwon. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Concerns among parents are growing as a 7-year-old girl and a 4-month-old infant, both undergoing home treatment after testing positive for COVID-19, have died in succession. There are worries about whether timely treatment can be provided if a child's symptoms suddenly worsen. Children under 12 years old, the minimum age for vaccination in Korea, have not been vaccinated and thus have weakened immunity. Furthermore, with elementary, middle, and high schools reopening next month, the risk of 'in-school cluster infections' may increase.

According to health authorities and Yecheon County in Gyeongbuk Province, a COVID-19 positive patient, a 7-year-old girl identified as A, who was receiving treatment at a university hospital, died on the 22nd. A tested positive on the 18th and was classified as a general management group for home treatment and entered self-quarantine.

A's symptoms reportedly worsened starting on the 20th. She complained of abdominal pain and chest pain and even refused to eat. Eventually, she was transferred to a hospital in Yeongju on the same day for treatment. However, her condition deteriorated further, and she was moved to a large hospital the next day for continued treatment but ultimately passed away around 4 p.m. on the 22nd.

The cause of A's death was confirmed as acute myocarditis. Health authorities are investigating whether her death is related to COVID-19.

This is not the only case of a child dying during home treatment. In Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, a 4-month-old infant identified as B, who had tested positive for COVID-19, also died.

According to fire and police authorities, at 1:52 p.m. on the same day, a 119 emergency call was received reporting that a 4-month-old infant was not breathing at a home in Gwonseon-gu, Suwon. B had tested positive for COVID-19 on the 18th along with other family members and was undergoing home treatment.

Paramedics who responded to the call performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on B and attempted to transport him to the hospital, but he ultimately died in the ambulance. At that time, the emergency team contacted about ten hospitals, but all responded that there were no available beds due to the surge in COVID-19 patients, and they were in the process of transferring to a hospital in another area.

Due to the rapid increase in COVID-19 patients, emergency rooms are reported to be running out of beds. / Photo by Yonhap News

With two infants dying during home treatment within a day, parents' anxiety is increasing. Typically, children without underlying conditions are classified as general management cases even if infected with COVID-19, but concerns have been raised about how to respond if symptoms suddenly become severe.

C, a 40-year-old office worker with an elementary school child, said, "I heard that young children have mild symptoms even if they get COVID, but after seeing the news that two children died during home treatment, it doesn't seem like that's always the case. Anything can happen unexpectedly," adding, "With so many confirmed cases, emergency rooms are refusing patients, so I'm worried if my child becomes seriously ill, whether I can protect them."

D, a housewife in her 30s, said, "I'm more cautious now than during the height of social distancing. With confirmed cases pouring in everywhere, I'm scared to let my children go out," and expressed frustration, "Young children can't get vaccinated yet, so their immunity must be low. Shouldn't there be special care for children at least?"

There were also concerns about the upcoming school reopening. Another office worker, E, expressed worry, saying, "Even if precautions are taken, the risk of transmission among children during in-person classes is high."

The government currently manages home treatment patients by dividing them into intensive management and general management groups. The intensive management group includes those aged 60 and above, people in their 50s with underlying conditions or immunocompromised, and people in their 40s prescribed oral antiviral treatments. They receive twice-daily monitoring, self-treatment kits, and necessary support from local governments.

The general management group refers to those who must self-isolate and undergo home treatment. They are responsible for monitoring their own health and can contact designated medical institutions to receive prescriptions.

On the afternoon of the 7th, medical staff are monitoring home treatment patients at the Home Treatment Situation Room of Seongnam City Medical Center in Gyeonggi Province. Recently, as the number of home treatment patients approaches 600,000, medical personnel are also busy. / Photo by Yonhap News

The problem is that as the number of COVID-19 cases increases, the number of home treatment patients has surged, reaching the limits of health institutions' response capacity. According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters of the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW), as of the 24th, the number of home treatment patients has already exceeded 580,000 and is approaching 600,000.

The workload of health centers, medical institutions, and other agencies handling patient inquiries is also increasing. Ryu Geun-hyuk, the MOHW's 2nd Vice Minister, who experienced home treatment after testing positive on the 11th, admitted in a radio interview, "I called a hospital to get a prescription but couldn't reach them and had to get it elsewhere," adding, "Most people receiving home treatment for the first time are quite confused and overwhelmed."

Children under 12 have relatively lower immunity to the Omicron variant. The minimum age for vaccination in Korea is 12 years, so younger children have not yet been vaccinated.

According to data released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) as of midnight on the 24th, the incidence rate of COVID-19 among children aged 0-9 was 7,695 cases per 100,000 population, the highest among all age groups. Since they have not developed immunity through vaccination, the Omicron variant is spreading much faster among this age group than others.

According to data from the quarantine authorities, as of the 24th, the COVID-19 infection rate among children aged 0-9 in the country is the highest among all age groups. / Photo by the quarantine authorities, daily COVID-19 infection status data

Meanwhile, from the 2nd of next month, elementary, middle, and high schools will officially reopen, along with kindergartens. The Ministry of Education has announced measures to distribute rapid antigen test kits to students and staff and recommend self-testing twice a week upon reopening.

However, concerns remain that it is impossible to completely prevent cluster infections due to Omicron's rapid transmission and the classroom environment where many people gather in a confined space.

The government has stated it will expand pediatric medical support to ensure children undergoing home treatment receive necessary care.

On the 24th, Kwon Deok-cheol, Minister of Health and Welfare, said, "If infants do not receive proper treatment in emergencies, serious situations can arise, and there may be long-term aftereffects," adding, "We have expanded the number of beds at key pediatric medical institutions to 864 and will further increase the number of specialized pediatric emergency medical centers from the current three by region."

He continued, "For children under home treatment, pediatric specialists will manage them during the day, and pediatric counseling centers will provide management at night to ensure immediate hospital access if needed."

Vaccination for children aged 5-11 with Pfizer's pediatric COVID-19 vaccine is also being promoted. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approved Pfizer's pediatric vaccine 'Comirnaty 0.1 mg/mL' on the 23rd. This vaccine is about one-third the dose of the vaccine authorized for those aged 12 and older.

The KDCA plans to announce a detailed vaccination plan for children aged 5-11 by March. At a briefing, Kwon Geun-yong, head of the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Team's vaccination management division, said, "Based on the vaccine approval, we will establish a detailed vaccination plan and conduct expert reviews," adding, "Since the detailed plan must coordinate vaccine supply schedules and vaccination timing, it will be prepared by March."

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