South Korea Seasonal Flu 2025-26

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11/4/25

This year's flu is said to be the most severe in the past decade... "Flu virus increases stroke risk five fold"

Amid warnings from health authorities that this year's influenza pandemic will be the most severe in the past decade, research findings showing that the flu virus significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease are attracting attention.

On the 17th of last month, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) issued an influenza pandemic advisory. This is two months earlier than last year, indicating the severity of this year's flu pandemic.

According to the KDCA's sample surveillance results for clinic-level medical institutions, the rate of suspected influenza cases in the 43rd week of this year (October 19-25) was 13.6 per 1,000 outpatients. This is 3.5 times the 3.9 cases reported during the same period a year ago.

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The number of influenza hospitalizations at 221 hospital-level medical institutions reached 98 in Week 43, 7.5 times the 13 cases recorded during the same period last season.

In this context, even more concerning research results have been published.

According to a paper published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology on the 9th of last month by researchers at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), people infected with the influenza virus have a fourfold increased risk of heart attack and a fivefold increased risk of stroke within a month of infection.

The researchers analyzed 155 studies published between 1997 and last year on the association between viral infections and stroke and heart disease.
The analysis found that people infected with COVID-19 were three times more likely to experience a heart attack or stroke within 14 weeks of infection than those who were not, and this increased risk persisted for up to a year after infection.

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The currently circulating influenza virus is type A (H3N2).

The main symptoms include a high fever of over 38 degrees, chills, muscle pain, cough, sore throat, runny nose, respiratory symptoms, headache, and vomiting, and it is known that there are no mutations that affect treatment resistance.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced that, considering the higher number of influenza cases this year compared to the same period last year and the outbreak situation in the Southern Hemisphere, it is expected that the influenza epidemic this winter (2025-2026) will be similar to the worst winter season of the past decade (2024-2025).

continued: https://www.insight.co.kr/news/527449

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[Life Health Planning for the 100-Year-Old Era] Tips for Preventing and Treating Respiratory Illnesses During the Seasonal Transition
11/4/25

With the onset of the seasonal transition, colds and flu cases are on the rise. Occasionally, COVID-19 cases are also reported, leading to a concurrent outbreak of three viral infections. While symptoms may vary slightly, they are similar, making a definitive diagnosis impossible. These three viruses are constantly mutating. Acquired immunity, formed through previous infections, is the body's natural defense against new variants. However, due to ongoing mutations, acquired immunity cannot prevent infection by new variants.

This ultimately highlights the importance of innate immunity. A healthy innate immune system prevents disease even when a variant virus invades. Natural killer cells and macrophages are responsible for fighting viruses. Innate immunity is nonspecific, meaning it attacks all types of viruses, but its effectiveness is weaker.

The acquired immune system takes about 5-7 days to become effective, so for the first 5-7 days, the body must fight viruses solely with the innate immune system. However, if your innate immune system is weak, you may lose the fight before the adaptive immune system arrives, and unfortunately, you may even lose your life.

There is a surefire and significant way to reduce the risk of these three infections. All three are respiratory infections, caused by airborne viruses penetrating the nasal and laryngeal mucosa. While there is currently no proven drug that kills these viruses, concentrated salt water is a powerful antiviral agent.

Gargling with 5% to 10% concentrated salt water for about 10 seconds immediately after returning from outside will kill harmful bacteria and viruses in your mouth. Be sure to also gargle deep in your throat by tilting your head back. During seasonal changes, gargling twice a day—once upon waking up in the morning and once upon returning from outside—is sufficient. Salt water gargling is highly effective because it destroys the cell membranes of viruses and bacteria through osmosis, and there is no resistance even after a lifetime of use. Gargling three or four times a day is even more effective when you feel a sore throat or a cold coming on.

When I demonstrate making salt water in my clinic, most patients are surprised by the high salt content. It needs to be very strong for maximum effectiveness, and gargling can be done by immediately rinsing with tap water. Gargling with salt water after a sore throat is even more effective because it dilates the blood vessels around the throat, allowing white blood cells to quickly flow into the throat tissue.

Most people avoid exercising in the winter because of the cold weather, but exercise helps flush out fatigue to boost immune function. The 300,000 cells that make up the body expel metabolic waste throughout the day. This waste is excreted through the lymph, and exercise fuels the flow of lymph. Therefore, without exercise, waste excretion is hindered, leading to inflammation throughout the body. This inflammation ultimately weakens the immune system and makes you more susceptible to colds.

Therefore, it's essential to engage in exercise that raises your heart rate at least twice a week. Exercising as usual when you're sick can actually increase fatigue and make you feel even worse. In the early stages of illness, light exercise and gargling with salt water are sufficient. Consuming more vitamin C after meals and resting is essential. This will prevent most respiratory illnesses and even help them fade away. The key to seasonal respiratory illnesses lies not in specific medications or treatments, but in how we "design and maintain" our body's defense system. By consistently practicing these three lifestyle habits—gargling with strong salt water, exercising regularly, and getting enough rest—we have nothing to fear, even when a variant virus spreads.

More important than medication is designing our own immune system and maintaining that design as a lifelong habit. This is the secret to a healthy lifespan in the age of centenarians.

[Oh Ki-chang, Director of the Korean Life Planning Association, Director of Chamsarang Internal Medicine Clinic, YouTuber "Doctor Simon," and author of "That's Why Patients Come to Rural Hospitals"]

https://www.mk.co.kr/news/society/11459438

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Please see: https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum/...ls#post1022305

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South Korea grapples with medicine shortage as flu outbreak gets worse
November 6, 2025

South Korea is grappling with an intense influenza season, with infections more than tripling from a year ago and showing pronounced peaks among school-aged children and adults over 50.

Official data suggests a potentially severe season ahead.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), the national outpatient influenza-like illness rate for the 43rd week of the year (October 19-25) climbed to 13.6 cases per 1,000 patients, a significant leap from the previous week’s 7.9 cases.
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The dominant strain in circulation is influenza A (H3N2), the most prevalent and virulent type, known for its ability to infect both humans and animals and trigger global pandemics. By contrast, influenza B infects only humans and typically causes milder, more localised outbreaks.
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Amid the rapid nationwide surge in cases, pharmacies are facing growing disruptions in the supply of key antiviral medications. Data indicates that shortages of commonly prescribed flu treatments began emerging as early as September and October, with Tamiflu 75mg capsules and Hanmi’s suspension formula showing a significant gap between pharmacy restock requests and actual deliveries from wholesalers.

In the final week of October, pharmacy orders for Tamiflu reached 139, but wholesale shipments covered only 47 – highlighting the growing gap between demand and supply. A similar pattern was observed for Hanmi Flu Suspension, with pharmacy restock requests soaring to 261, while only 52 orders were fulfilled in the same period.
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“This season’s outbreak began nearly two months earlier than last year,” said Hong Jeong-ik, chief of KDCA’s infectious disease bureau.

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3331601/south-korea-grapples-medicine-shortage-flu-outbreak-gets-worse