"90 Severe or Worse COVID-19 Patients... 63 in Critical Condition" (Update)

Image source=Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] As of the 15th, there are 90 patients classified as severe or higher among the confirmed domestic cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), of which 63 are in critical condition.

At the regular briefing held that afternoon, Kwak Jin, head of the Epidemiological Investigation and Patient Management Team at the Central Disease Control Headquarters for COVID-19, stated, "There are 27 patients classified as severe, who are wearing oxygen masks or have a fever above 38.5 degrees Celsius, and 63 patients in critical condition who are using mechanical ventilation or artificial respirators."

Among the confirmed patients undergoing isolation treatment, severe patients receive treatments such as ECMO and artificial respirators, as well as oxygen mask therapy. ECMO stands for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, a device that removes blood from critically ill patients whose heart and lungs are not functioning properly, supplies oxygen, and returns it to the body. Artificial respirators through intubation are used to treat patients who cannot breathe on their own. Patients in a better condition than this but who have a fever above 38.5 degrees Celsius or decreased oxygen saturation due to pneumonia receive oxygen mask therapy.

Meanwhile, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Korea as of midnight on the same day is 8,162. Among them, 75 deaths have been reported.