The number of heat-related illness cases increased by about 20 in one day due to the continued heatwave, approaching a total of 3,100.
According to the Heat-related Illness Emergency Room Surveillance System of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on the 24th, 22 new heat-related illness cases were added the previous day. Since the surveillance system began operating on May 20th, the cumulative number of patients reached 3,084 as of the day before.
This year’s heat-related illness cases are the highest since 2018, when there were 4,526 cases. Among this year’s patients, 77.8% were men, with many cases occurring in middle-aged and older adults in their 50s (18.6%) and 60s (18.4%).
By disease type, heat exhaustion (55.4%) accounted for more than half of the cases, followed by heat stroke (20.6%) and heat cramps (14.5%). Most cases occurred outdoors (77.7%), such as at workplaces (31.3%) and fields (14.4%).
The Disease Control and Prevention Agency emphasized the importance of following the health guidelines of "water, shade, and rest" to prevent heat-related illnesses, including drinking water frequently, staying cool, and avoiding activities during the hottest times of the day.
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