100 Heat-Related Illness Cases Per Day Amid Heatwave... 2 More Deaths Reported

Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Reports Daily Heat-Related Illness Cases Double in Just One Day After Four Days in the 50s

As the heatwave intensifies, around 100 people are being diagnosed with heat-related illnesses each day.

Yonhap News

According to the Emergency Room Heat-Related Illness Surveillance System of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on July 4, there were 100 cases of heat-related illness reported on July 2 alone. Among these, there were two deaths suspected to be caused by heat-related illness.

As a result, the total number of heat-related illness cases recorded through the emergency room surveillance system, which has been operating since June 15, has risen to 633, including five deaths.

The daily number of heat-related illness cases remained in the 50s for four consecutive days starting June 28, but nearly doubled on July 2. Last year, the number of daily cases did not exceed 100 until August 1, but this year, the surge occurred nearly a month earlier.

On this day, heatwave advisories were in effect for most regions nationwide. In some parts of Gyeonggi Province, the east coast and mountainous areas of Gangwon Province, the southern regions, and eastern Jeju Island, the maximum perceived temperature reached around 35 degrees Celsius.

Among the deceased, an elderly woman in her 80s died while working outdoors in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province. In Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, an elderly man in his 80s lost his life to heat-related illness while in the mountains.

So far this year, 77.4% of those diagnosed with heat-related illness have been men, and 30.6% have been seniors aged 65 or older. By occupation, manual laborers accounted for the largest proportion at 20.1%.

The highest number of cases occurred between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. (12.3%), followed by 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. (11.5%), and 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. (11.1%). The vast majority of cases occurred outdoors (82.9%), with workplaces (26.1%), roadsides (16.1%), and fields (16.0%) being the most common outdoor locations.

By type of illness, heat exhaustion accounted for 52.8%, heat stroke for 19.6%, and heat cramps for 15.3%.

To prevent heat-related illness, it is important to drink water frequently and stay in cool places between noon and 5 p.m., which is the hottest part of the day. It is also advisable to refrain from outdoor activities during heatwaves.