The number of patients hospitalized due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has increased nearly sixfold in a month, signaling a full-blown resurgence. It has been one year and three months since the government declared COVID-19 an “endemic” in May of last year. On the 12th, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency upgraded the head of the COVID-19 “response team” from director level to director Ji Young-mi.
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), as a result of sample surveillance of 220 hospital-level or higher medical institutions, the number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 was 861 in the first week of August (July 28-August 3), 5.8 times the 148 in the second week of July (July 7-13). Considering that there are about 1,800 hospital-level medical institutions nationwide and that there are mild patients who are not hospitalized, the actual number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is likely to be several to tens of times higher. Choi Won-seok, a professor of infectious disease at Korea University Ansan Hospital, said, “The number of patients visiting the hospital with COVID-19 is the highest in a year.”
The medical community points out that the heat wave has led to an increase in indoor activities, a decrease in mask-wearing, and poor ventilation due to the use of air conditioners as the causes of the resurgence. In addition, a new variant, KP. 3, has emerged in line with the 5-6 month cycle of the COVID-19 epidemic. On the 12th, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said, “The number of patients is increasing worldwide due to KP. 3, a descendant of Omicron,” and “The number of confirmed cases will increase until the end of August.”
Sales of quarantine supplies are also skyrocketing. According to 7-Eleven, sales of COVID-19 self-testing kits increased by 130% from the previous week from the 5th to the 11th. A GS Retail official said, “Sales of masks and disinfectants increased by 38.4% and 35.2%, respectively, from the 1st to the 11th compared to the same period last month.”
Experts are also concerned that COVID-19 will spread rapidly in workplaces and schools as the vacation season and school break are over. However, an official from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said, “The fatality rate of COVID-19 is about 0.1%, which is lower than the fatality rate of seasonal flu in the U.S., and less than 0.01% for those under 50,” and “We are not considering raising the COVID-19 crisis level.”
Reporter Jo Yu-ra [email protected]
Reporter Park Kyung-min [email protected]
Reporter Jeong Seo-young [email protected]