291 Medical Workers Treating COVID-19 Infected This Year... Nurses Number 188, the Highest

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] The number of healthcare workers infected with COVID-19 while treating COVID-19 patients is rapidly increasing. In particular, it has been revealed that nurses are being infected with COVID-19 at a rate of about one person per day.

The Korean Nurses Association announced on the 16th that, according to an analysis of data submitted by the Central Disease Control Headquarters to Choi Yeon-sook, a member of the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee from the People's Party, a total of 291 healthcare workers were confirmed to have COVID-19 while caring for patients up to the first half of this year. Nurses accounted for the largest proportion with 188 people (64.6%), followed by 67 doctors (23.0%), 25 dentists (8.6%), and 11 Korean medicine doctors (3.8%).

Expanding the scope to February last year, when the first COVID-19 patient occurred in Korea, a total of 565 healthcare workers were confirmed positive during the patient treatment process. Among them, nurses were the most at 415 people (73.5%), followed by doctors at 113 people (20.0%), dentists at 26 people (4.6%), and Korean medicine doctors at 11 people (1.9%).

In particular, since April, as indoor activities increased amid a relaxation of quarantine vigilance due to seasonal factors, infections have steadily increased. The number of healthcare workers confirmed positive in the second quarter (April to June) was 164, showing an increase compared to 127 in the first quarter (January to March).

The Nurses Association expressed concern, stating, "The reason why nurses make up the largest number of COVID-19 infected healthcare workers is due to the nature of nursing duties working on the front lines of quarantine and treatment," and added, "With the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic weakening immunity and the recent surge in confirmed cases, nurses' safety is increasingly threatened."

The Nurses Association also reported that, as the midsummer heat continues this month and confirmed cases surge, nurses are being required to take on more workload at quarantine sites such as screening clinics.