'Cruel Sunday' 3 More COVID Deaths Added, Total Now 20...Common Factors: Elderly and Underlying Conditions (Summary)

20th Death, '2nd Death While Waiting for Hospitalization'... Following the 13th Death
Daegu City Reports 1,661 Self-Quarantined Individuals Waiting for Hospitalization as of 9 AM

Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] The number of deaths in South Korea due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has increased to 20. Three additional deaths occurred on Sunday, the 1st. All were elderly patients with underlying health conditions.

According to Daegu City on the day, an 80-year-old man died around 2:25 p.m. at Chilgok Kyungpook National University Hospital, followed by an 86-year-old woman who passed away while receiving treatment at Daegu Catholic Hospital at 4:18 p.m.

The 19th COVID-19 fatality, the man, was confirmed positive on the 28th of last month and was admitted to Chilgok Kyungpook National University Hospital on the same day, where he later died. It is known that he suffered from hypertension as an underlying condition. The 20th fatality, the 86-year-old woman, was also confirmed positive on the 28th of last month but was waiting for hospitalization at home due to a delay in admission. Her respiratory distress worsened, and she was transferred to Daegu Catholic University Hospital on the day but died at the hospital.

In particular, the 20th fatality’s case raises concerns as her condition deteriorated with respiratory distress while waiting for hospitalization, leading to her death. This is the second death while waiting for hospitalization, following the 13th fatality on the 27th of last month, who also died after their condition worsened during the waiting period. As the number of patients waiting for hospitalization increases due to a shortage of beds and medical personnel, there are calls for more meticulous management of patients awaiting admission.

Earlier, the 18th fatality was an 83-year-old man who died at 11:20 a.m. while receiving treatment in a negative pressure isolation room at Kyungpook National University Hospital. He was tested at a screening clinic on the 27th of last month, confirmed positive the next day on the 28th, and then moved to the negative pressure room. It was reported that he was in poor health from the time of admission, suffering from underlying conditions such as cerebral infarction, hypertension, and diabetes.

As of 9 a.m. on the day, the number of confirmed cases in Daegu, the region with the highest number of infections, stood at 2,569. Among them, 898 patients (773 in Daegu and 125 from other regions) have been hospitalized. A total of 1,661 patients are waiting for hospitalization at home. Among those waiting, 19 patients have been identified as severe cases requiring priority admission.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.