KDCA Urges Public to Practice Hand Washing and Cough Etiquette
Special Precautions Needed for High-Risk Groups
The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients has increased for four consecutive weeks. Health authorities have urged the public to continue following respiratory infection prevention guidelines, such as hand washing, cough etiquette, and indoor ventilation, as the upward trend is expected to persist for the time being.
The number of COVID-19 hospitalized patients has been increasing for four consecutive weeks. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) believes that, considering the recent trends in COVID-19 cases and the typical summer outbreak patterns in previous years, the increase in patient cases is likely to continue through this month. Getty Images
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) on August 1, the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients at 221 hospital-level medical institutions during the 30th week (July 20 to 26) totaled 139, marking the fourth consecutive week of increase. The weekly number of hospitalized patients has continued to rise: 63 in the 25th week (June 15?21), 63 in the 26th week, 101 in the 27th week, 103 in the 28th week, and 123 in the 29th week.
During the same period, the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients at 42 tertiary general hospitals also increased for three consecutive weeks, reaching 16.
The detection rate of the COVID-19 virus among outpatients with respiratory symptoms at clinic-level medical institutions was 20.1%, marking a three-week consecutive increase. Virus concentrations detected through wastewater surveillance have also remained high for four consecutive weeks.
The KDCA believes that, given the recent trends in COVID-19 cases and the typical summer outbreak patterns in previous years, the increase in patient numbers is likely to continue throughout August. The rise in indoor activities due to the vacation season and heatwaves is also a negative factor contributing to the spread of COVID-19.
Im Seungkwan, Commissioner of the KDCA, stated, "While COVID-19 is transitioning into an endemic disease with one or two outbreaks per year, it can still progress to severe illness in high-risk groups such as the elderly or immunocompromised individuals, so extra caution is necessary." He emphasized, "If you experience suspected symptoms such as cough or fever, you should seek medical care at a nearby medical institution and rest until your symptoms have fully recovered."
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