"Omicron, Said to Be at Flu Level..." Why Did Deaths and Severe Cases Surge?

Citizens are getting tested at a screening clinic set up in Independence Park, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] The number of COVID-19 deaths surged, recording over 110 deaths daily. The government emphasized that the Omicron variant is manageable by comparing it to seasonal flu, but experts warned that it is still a dangerous disease to call endemic.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters as of midnight on the 1st, the number of COVID-19 deaths was 112. This was 2 fewer than the previous day (114), which set the highest record ever.

The cumulative death toll reached 8,170, with 1,492 people having died from COVID-19 in the past month. In the past week, 662 people died, averaging 94.6 deaths per day. The cumulative fatality rate decreased by 0.1 percentage points from the previous day (0.26%) to 0.25%.

By age group, those aged 80 and above accounted for the most deaths at 69, followed by those in their 70s (24), 60s (8), and 50s (5).

The death trend over the past two weeks (February 16 to March 1) showed the following pattern: '39→36→45→71→51→45→58→99→82→94→112→49→114→112'. There were three days with over 100 deaths within one week.

Along with deaths, the number of critically ill patients is also increasing. As of this day, 727 critically ill patients are receiving treatment in hospitals, 12 more than the previous day (715). Since entering the 300s on February 14, the number has rapidly increased and has been in the 700s since the previous day.

The sharp rise in new confirmed cases recently appears to have caused the surge in critically ill patients and deaths. The problem is that the damage could worsen as the number of confirmed cases continues to increase.

The health authorities, summarizing recent predictions from domestic and international researchers, forecasted, "On March 9, daily confirmed cases will exceed 230,000, and the number of critically ill patients hospitalized will increase to over 1,200." The peak of the outbreak is expected between early and mid-March, with the number of confirmed cases ranging from 180,000 to 350,000.

The government and health authorities stated that based on Omicron's low fatality rate, coexistence with COVID-19 is possible, and they will focus on minimizing severe cases and deaths in their response.

However, experts point out that this judgment is premature. If confirmed cases continue to rise, the increase in death toll must be accepted, and the critical care medical system could be rapidly exhausted.

Professor Jung Jae-hoon of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Gachon University College of Medicine said, "The government's approach to treat it like seasonal flu does not mean the Omicron variant is less dangerous but rather reflects the lack of alternatives in the medical system's response capacity. To transition to an endemic, the number of confirmed cases must significantly decrease to about half of the current peak, and the number of severe patients must be greatly reduced through oral antiviral treatments."

There was also a warning that even if COVID-19 becomes endemic, it could continue to cause ongoing harm to public health. Professor Kim Tak of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital explained on Facebook on the 20th of last month, "The transition of COVID-19 to an endemic means it will remain a permanent infectious disease that causes routine public health damage. In South Korea, it could remain an infectious disease causing about 50 to 200 deaths daily, totaling approximately 15,000 to 60,000 deaths annually."

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