Jeong Gi-seok "Current Number of Confirmed Cases Not at a Level for Society to Worry"

"Low Death Rate per 1 Million
Enjoy Daily Life but Thoroughly Treat High-Risk Groups"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] Jeong Gi-seok, Chair of the National Infectious Disease Crisis Response Advisory Committee (Head of the COVID-19 Special Response Team), emphasized that South Korea’s death rate per capita is lower compared to overseas countries and explained that the current scale of new confirmed cases is not at a worrisome level.

At the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters briefing that day, Chair Jeong said, "According to internationally used statistics, in the first week of August (1st to 7th), South Korea’s confirmed cases per million people were about 14,000, which is significantly higher than Japan’s 11,000 and the United States’ 2,000," adding, "However, the death rate per million people is lower than that of the United States, Singapore, and Japan."

He continued, "Although the increasing number of confirmed cases is not a good thing, looking at it including the previous government, the number of confirmed cases is not at a level that society should be overly concerned about," and added, "The fact that the increase in deaths is lower than the increase in confirmed cases is because the government’s strategy to reduce the fatality rate and severe case rate is working as intended."

Chair Jeong emphasized that the case of Germany, where the peak number of confirmed cases is low but cases continue steadily, is better than a sudden surge in confirmed cases. He said, "The total number of patients after going through one peak or the number of patients that is low but lasts long (like in Germany) is the same, so the German model is much better," adding, "If there is one peak, there are no hospital beds, but if the number of patients is maintained at a certain level, hospital beds are prepared and there is no need to worry about treatment drugs." He also explained by comparing it to the recent heavy rain that caused damage nationwide, saying, "You would understand well that 400mm of rain falling in one day is different from 40mm falling over ten days."

Furthermore, Chair Jeong said that to maintain daily life, it is necessary to respond to high-risk groups rather than suppress confirmed cases through control. He summarized, "Ultimately, we have to decide between two indicators: whether to reduce the number of confirmed cases by restricting our daily lives and routines, or to live somewhat freely while tolerating a certain number of confirmed cases." He continued, "If the number of confirmed cases becomes unmanageable, suppression policies like before will have to be used, but until then, if we enjoy daily life while thoroughly protecting and treating high-risk groups, we can maintain daily life at the current level."