[2022 National Audit] Over 54,000 Patients Treated for COVID-19 Aftereffects... Majority in Their 60s and Women

Seo Young-seok Lawmaker "We Must Hurry the Korean-style Treatment Guidelines"

Photo of a post-COVID-19 sequelae clinic. [Photo by Asia Economy DB]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] It has been revealed that the number of patients treated for aftereffects of COVID-19 over the past two years since the pandemic reached approximately 54,000.

According to data received on the 5th from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service by Seo Young-seok, a member of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, the number of patients treated for COVID-19 aftereffects from October 2020, when the aftereffects diagnosis code was newly established, until July of this year totaled 54,463.

By age group, those in their 60s accounted for the largest number with 12,284 patients (22.6%), followed by those in their 40s with 8,055 (14.8%) and those in their 50s with 8,038 (14.8%). By gender, females numbered 32,742 (60.1%), about 1.5 times more than males (21,721).

The main symptoms of COVID-19 aftereffects are known to be wide-ranging and diverse, including fatigue, memory impairment, decreased concentration, shortness of breath, phlegm, headaches, foreign body sensation in the throat, insomnia, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Assemblyman Seo emphasized, “Although research is underway to establish treatment guidelines for COVID-19 aftereffects, since it will only be completed by December 2025, reliable short-term studies should be conducted concurrently to quickly develop Korean-style treatment guidelines to prevent any treatment gaps.”