Seoul City Transported 26,960 Suspected COVID-19 Patients Last Year... Most Cases in 70s Age Group and December

Most Patient Transfers Occur in December and Among Those in Their 70s
Systematic Response Including Dedicated Ambulance Teams, Additional Negative Pressure Ambulances, and Manual Establishment

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul 119 ambulance service transported 26,960 suspected COVID-19 patients last year. Among the age groups, those in their 70s accounted for the highest proportion, and the number of confirmed cases among transported patients was highest in December.

On the 4th, the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters announced an analysis of the statistics on the transportation of suspected COVID-19 patients in 2020. The number of suspected patients transported increased each quarter: 3,401 in the first quarter, 6,292 in the second quarter, 8,285 in the third quarter, and 8,982 in the fourth quarter. A representative from the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters explained, “The transportation of suspected COVID-19 patients was highest in the fourth quarter last year, which is believed to be related to the third wave of COVID-19 that led to the elevation of social distancing to level 2 in the metropolitan area in November.”

By month, the numbers were highest in December with 4,197 (15.6%), followed by August with 3,453 (12.8%), September with 2,684 (10%), and November with 2,651 (9.8%). Among the 26,960 suspected patients transported, 5,752 (21.3%) were confirmed positive, with the highest number of confirmed cases, 2,410, recorded in December.

By age group, the transportation numbers were highest among those in their 70s with 4,740 (17.6%), followed by those in their 60s with 3,900 (14.5%), 80s with 3,871 (14.4%), 50s with 3,424 (12.7%), and 20s with 2,738 (10.1%). Those aged 60 and above accounted for 13,427 patients, representing 49.8% of all transported patients, among whom 2,209 were confirmed positive.

So far, the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters has continuously implemented measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including designating dedicated ambulance teams, deploying two additional negative pressure ambulances, increasing the number of paramedics, and producing and distributing COVID-19 ambulance field manuals.

The Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters plans to further strengthen systematic infectious disease disaster response by forming an infectious disease response committee including external experts and enacting additional practical manuals.

A representative from the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters stated, “119 ambulance vehicles and equipment are thoroughly managed and operated according to disinfection guidelines, and virus sample tests are conducted to check for viral contamination inside the vehicles,” adding, “We are doing our best to ensure that citizens using ambulances can do so safely without fear of infection.”

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