COVID-19 Cases Enter 600s... 5 Deaths Among Confirmed Patients (Update)

Ambulances carrying COVID-19 confirmed patients are lined up at Keimyung University Daegu Dongsan Hospital.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] The number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in South Korea increased by 169 on the 23rd alone, surpassing the cumulative total of 600 cases. The number of deaths among confirmed cases also rose to five.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters announced that as of 4 p.m. on the day, 46 additional confirmed cases were identified. This reflects the situation from 9 a.m. to noon. The cumulative number of confirmed cases rose from 556 in the morning to 602, entering the 600 range.

Among the additional confirmed cases counted during the day, 29 were from the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions where cluster infections occurred, 6 from Busan, 6 from Gyeongnam, 2 from Gyeonggi, and 1 each from Seoul, Gwangju, and Daejeon. Of these, 20 additional confirmed cases were related to the Shincheonji Daegu Church, which had already reported 309 related patients by the morning. The infection routes of the remaining 26 cases are under investigation.

Among the previously confirmed cases, the fifth domestic death was reported. The deceased was a woman in her 60s who was hospitalized and receiving treatment at Daegu Gyeongbuk National University Hospital. She was the 38th confirmed patient in the country (born in 1963, female) and was diagnosed positive on the 18th. She passed away in the afternoon of the same day.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters added, "This patient had underlying conditions (chronic renal failure) and was using ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) during hospitalization." ECMO is a device that oxygenates blood outside the body and returns it to patients with severe heart or lung dysfunction who have difficulty breathing.

Health authorities are investigating the relationship between this woman's cause of death and COVID-19. The total number of deaths among confirmed cases in South Korea has increased to five, including this woman. This is the first death reported in Daegu.

Previously, three patients who tested positive for COVID-19 and were hospitalized at Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, Gyeongbuk, died. Additionally, a man in his 40s (born in 1979) who was found dead at his home in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk, last night was confirmed positive for COVID-19 posthumously and counted as a confirmed death. Health authorities are also investigating the connection between previous deaths and COVID-19.

Among the remaining confirmed cases, 18 patients have been declared recovered and released from isolation. As of 4 p.m., 25,577 suspected patients with fever, cough, or other symptoms after traveling to China or COVID-19 outbreak countries were under observation. This is an increase of 3,500 from 22,077 in the morning. Of these, 17,520 tested negative, and 8,057 are still undergoing testing.