The number of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 has risen sharply in South Korea recently as the virus resurgences nationwide in the summer, health authorities said on Friday. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 in 220 hospitals reached 861 in the first week of August, the highest since early February, Yonhap news agency reported.
The number has risen rapidly, from 148 in the second week of July to 226 in the third week and 475 in the following week. Authorities expect this upward trend to continue until the end of this month. The latest wave is caused by the KP.3 sub-variant of the fast-spreading Omicron variant, which accounted for 45.5 percent of all cases in July.
65.2 percent of the patients hospitalized this month were aged 65 and over, followed by 18.1 percent between 50 and 64 years old. Despite the increase in patient numbers, more than 90 percent of them suffer only from mild symptoms, and the country is able to handle the situation with the current health system. However, the government has decided to strengthen surveillance of the elderly and other high-risk groups and redouble its efforts to ensure a stable supply of medicines and testing kits.
The vaccination campaign will resume in October, with high-risk groups being vaccinated free of charge. “The risk of respiratory infections increases in summer because indoor spaces are not fully ventilated and the number of interpersonal contacts may increase during vacations. It is crucial to follow basic hygiene rules,” said KDCA chief Jee Young-mee.
