"49 Severe or Critical COVID-19 Patients... 26 in 'Critical' Condition" (Update)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] As of the 5th, among the confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in South Korea, there are 49 patients classified as severe or higher, of which 26 are in critical condition.

At the regular briefing held that afternoon, Kwak Jin, Head of the Epidemiological Investigation Team 1 at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters for COVID-19, stated, "There are 23 patients classified as severe, who are wearing oxygen masks or have a fever above 38.5 degrees Celsius, and 26 patients in critical condition who are using mechanical ventilation or artificial respirators."

For severe patients undergoing isolation treatment, therapies such as ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation), artificial respirator treatment, and oxygen mask treatment are administered. ECMO is a device that removes blood from critically ill patients whose heart and lungs are not functioning properly, supplies oxygen, and then returns the blood to the body. Artificial respiration through intubation is used to treat patients who cannot breathe on their own. Patients in a better condition than this but who have a fever above 38.5 degrees Celsius or decreased oxygen saturation due to pneumonia receive oxygen mask treatment.

Meanwhile, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Korea as of midnight on the same day is 5,766. Among them, 39 deaths have been reported.

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