COVID-19 Death Toll Reaches 3,000... 90% of Recent Deaths Are Aged 60 and Over (Comprehensive)

"Booster Shot Should Be Advanced," Calls Arise
Government Says "Under Review"

On the 9th, citizens continued to visit the temporary COVID-19 screening clinic in front of Seoul City Hall to get tested. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] Since the implementation of the 'gradual return to daily life (With Corona),' the number of critically ill patients and deaths has been rapidly increasing day by day. In particular, as most of the increasing COVID-19 deaths are among the elderly aged 60 and over, breakthrough infections are frequently occurring among the elderly who received early vaccination, raising concerns that the additional vaccination (booster shot) schedule should be advanced.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters on the 9th, as of midnight, the cumulative number of COVID-19 deaths in the country increased by 18 to 2,998. It is highly likely to exceed 3,000 on the same day. This comes 629 days after the first death was reported on February 19 last year (based on the date of death) during the initial phase of the first major outbreak.

The speed of death occurrence is gradually accelerating. It took 274 days (until November 19 last year) to surpass 500 deaths after the first death, then 166 days (until June 19 this year) to reach 2,000 deaths, and it took 142 days to exceed 3,000 deaths again.

Especially since the start of With Corona on the 1st, the number of deaths has been in double digits for eight consecutive days. On the 3rd, the number reached 24, marking the highest since the 4th major outbreak. It is the seventh highest number of deaths in history. The record for the highest daily deaths is 40 on December 29 last year.

In particular, among the 452 COVID-19 deaths in the past five weeks, 89.6% (405 people) were aged 60 and over, showing an increase in deaths mainly among the elderly. Especially last week (October 31 to November 6), 96.8% (122 out of 126) of the deaths were elderly. There were no deaths among those aged 30 or younger, and only two deaths each in their 40s and 50s. Since vaccination began over eight months ago in February, focusing on high-risk groups such as the elderly, it is analyzed that the vaccine's effectiveness has waned among high-risk groups.

The confirmed cases show a similar trend. Among the 1,715 new COVID-19 cases reported the previous day, 496 (28.9%) were elderly aged 60 and over. Those in their 60s accounted for the largest number at 277, followed by 132 in their 70s and 87 aged 80 and above. Recently, the proportion of elderly aged 60 and over among daily confirmed cases has hovered around 30%. Before vaccination began in February, the proportion of elderly cases sometimes exceeded 50%, but after vaccination started focusing on the elderly, such figures became rare. Notably, the vaccination completion rate among the elderly is 91.4%, indicating that most cases are breakthrough infections.

If this situation continues, the second easing of With Corona scheduled in five weeks is likely to be delayed. According to a 'Public Perception Survey on the Transition of COVID-19 Response System' released last month by Professor Yoo Myung-soon’s team at Seoul National University Graduate School of Public Health, considering the annual deaths from influenza (2,000?3,000) and cumulative COVID-19 deaths, 58.6% of respondents said they could tolerate annual deaths between 1,000 and less than 2,000. Those who could tolerate between 2,000 and less than 3,000 deaths accounted for 28.0%, and only 13.4% in total said they could endure more than 3,000 deaths. Considering that the cumulative deaths this year have already reached 2,098, it means that half of the public has surpassed the tolerable number. Moreover, considering the relaxation of quarantine measures due to With Corona, the number of deaths is expected to increase further.

On the 8th, when the additional COVID-19 vaccination (booster shot) began for Janssen vaccine recipients and inpatients, residents, and workers of nursing hospitals and nursing facilities, a Janssen vaccine recipient is receiving an additional vaccination at Yonsei With ENT Clinic in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

The government plans to restore the reduced preventive effect through booster shots, but the six-month interval set for additional vaccination is a stumbling block. Considering that the second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which was widely administered to the elderly early on, was given only around mid-May, most people have not yet reached the interval for additional vaccination.

Accordingly, starting from the 10th, the government plans to advance the interval for additional vaccination (booster shots), which is basically six months, by four weeks for inpatients, residents, and workers at nursing hospitals and facilities nationwide. A full reduction of the additional vaccination interval is also being considered. Hong Jung-ik, head of the Vaccination Management Team at the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team, said the day before, "If evidence accumulates, we will actively review and discuss the possibility of advancing the interval by about a month."

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