The number of hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19 infections has increased by about 22 times in just six weeks. As medical professionals complain of shortages of COVID-19 treatments and testing kits, some are pointing out that the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency failed to properly prepare for the possibility of a summer resurgence.
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on the 15th, the number of confirmed COVID-19 hospitalized patients in the second week of August (August 4-10) was 1,356, a sharp increase of about 22 times from 63 in the fourth week of June (June 23-29) in just six weeks. About half of them were known to have the ‘Omicron KP.3’ mutation. Omicron series mutations are characterized by low severity but high transmissibility, making them spread rapidly. The medical community reports that the resurgence of COVID-19 is in full swing due to the weakening immunity of people who were infected with COVID-19 or vaccinated last year and the summer season when ventilation and mask wearing are difficult.
On the ground, COVID-19 treatments and testing kits are running out. A professor at a university hospital in the metropolitan area said, “Recently, the hospital posted an internal notice that Paxrobid is out of stock.” Frontline pharmacies are also having difficulty obtaining COVID-19 treatments and testing kits. When the Dong-A Ilbo inquired with six pharmacies that dispense COVID-19 treatments on this day, four of them said they did not have any COVID-19 treatments at all. Fewer than 10 pharmacies still have treatments left, and they are expected to run out in a day or two.
However, the supply of treatment is insufficient. According to the COVID-19 treatment supply status received by the office of Han Ji-ah, a member of the People Power Party in the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee, from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the total number of treatment requests from pharmacies and medical institutions nationwide in the first week of August was 198,000 people. However, the supply was only 33,000 people, or 16.7%. On the 14th, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency announced, “Starting next week, we will sequentially supply treatment and expand the production of testing kits.”
The medical community is pointing out that the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency responded complacently despite being able to fully predict the resurgence of COVID-19 this summer. COVID-19 has a tendency to spread in cycles of 5 to 6 months, so experts predicted that after reaching its peak in February this year, it would spread again in the summer of July and August. There was a resurgence last summer as well.
Some argue that the COVID-19 vaccination, which was suspended at the end of June, should be resumed. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said, “We will administer the COVID-19 vaccine along with the influenza vaccine starting in October,” and suspended vaccination at the end of June in preparation for this.
Reporter Jo Yu-ra [email protected]
Reporter Park Kyung-min [email protected]
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2024-08-15 07:12:37