According to statistics from Severance Hospital in Seodaemun District, northwestern Seoul, 70 patients rushed to the emergency room on New Year’s Eve, all exhibiting symptoms of enteritis, more commonly known as inflammation of the small intestine.
Among them were 20 adults and 50 children.
“Most of the patients were children or those in their 20s or 30s,” a hospital official overseeing the night shift said on Dec. 31.
Winter enteritis is caused by norovirus in most cases, also known as the winter vomiting bug, which is highly contagious.
The virus becomes active when temperatures plummet, earning it the distinction of being the representative virus for enteritis during the cold season.
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