Joonggonara Sees 200% Surge in "COVID" Transactions
Search Volumes Climb; Related Posts Up 30% on Danggeun
Personal Protective Products Back in Focus Amid Vaccine Shortage and Resurgence Concerns
"These are KF94 masks I purchased in bulk some time ago. Please take these unopened products at a low price."
Amid signs of a resurgence of COVID-19, demand for everyday quarantine products is reviving in the secondhand market. With vaccine supplies virtually depleted and vaccinations difficult to access, health authorities are forecasting a further increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations. As a result, interest in personal protective items such as masks and hand sanitizers is expected to rise even further.
According to a recent survey conducted by the secondhand trading platform Joonggonara on transaction trends over the past three months (from May to the first week of August), the number of secondhand product transactions related to the keyword "COVID-19" last month surged by 200% compared to May, two months earlier. In particular, the number of hand sanitizer transactions doubled during the same period, and there has been a steady stream of posts selling hygiene management products such as disinfectant deodorants, sterilizers, and disinfectant solutions.
Posts selling quarantine and hygiene products on the secondhand trading platform 'Joonggonara' app. Joonggonara
The increase in search volume for related keywords was also notable. In June, searches for the keyword "COVID-19" peaked, jumping 93% compared to the previous month. In the first week of August (August 4-10), searches for "COVID-19" rose by 45.4% compared to the previous week (July 28-August 3), while searches for "mask" increased by 21.5% and "hand sanitizer" by 100% during the same period. On "Neighborhood Life," a community within the app operated by another secondhand trading platform, Danggeun, posts containing the keywords "COVID-19" and "mask" increased by 30% each over the past two months (May to July).
This phenomenon is interpreted as being driven by growing concerns over a recent resurgence of COVID-19. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations has increased for six consecutive weeks. In the 32nd week of this year (August 3-9), the number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized at 221 sample medical institutions nationwide was 272, up 23.6% from the previous week. The weekly number of hospitalized patients continued to rise: 63 in week 26 (June 22-28), 101 in week 27, 103 in week 28, 123 in week 29, 139 in week 30, and 220 in week 31. The COVID-19 virus detection rate also soared from 6.5% to 32% during the same period.
The problem is that there are few effective countermeasures. Vaccine stocks have already been exhausted, making vaccination difficult for the time being, and aside from the 320,000 courses of treatment held by the government, there are currently no clear alternatives. Lim Seungkwan, Commissioner of the KDCA, said, "The number of COVID-19 patients may continue to increase for about two more weeks," and urged the public to "follow preventive guidelines such as wearing masks in daily life and regularly ventilating indoor air to prevent COVID-19 infection."
An official from the secondhand trading industry stated, "Compared to the peak of the previous COVID-19 outbreak, secondhand transactions still appear to be relatively subdued." However, the official added, "Given the recent spread of concerns about a resurgence and the increase in search volume, there is a possibility that renewed interest in quarantine and hygiene products could quickly lead to a surge in transactions."
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