A pan-government response team has launched to tackle the spread of infectious respiratory diseases affecting children and youths.

Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) Commissioner Jee Young-mee said on Friday that a team comprising the KDCA and the ministries of health, drug safety and education will address the transmission of influenza and mycoplasma pneumoniae among other illnesses.

Jee said the team will monitor the availability of hospital beds and the supply of medication on a weekly basis while distributing related guidelines to medical facilities.

The KDCA chief urged the public to seek medical help when experiencing symptoms, wear masks in public places and follow other individual quarantine measures. 

However, she advised against excessive anxiety over mycoplasma pneumonia, saying the ailment spikes in the country every three to four years, with only about five percent of cases requiring hospitalization.