"Simultaneous Spread of Omicron + Stealth" ... Cumulative Confirmed Cases Surpass 10 Million

'Stealth Omicron' Spreads at Peak of Wave
Confirmed Cases Increase 10-Fold in 45 Days
Peak Delayed and Scale Enlarged

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As the Omicron variant pandemic enters its peak phase, the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in South Korea is expected to surpass 10 million today (22nd). This means that one in five Koreans has been infected with COVID-19 in just over two years and two months since the first confirmed case. Recently, the proportion of 'Stealth Omicron (BA.2)' detected among confirmed cases has been increasing, so it is predicted that both Omicron (BA.1) and Stealth Omicron will spread simultaneously for the time being, delaying the peak period and increasing the scale of the outbreak.

10 Million Confirmed Cases Amid Omicron Pandemic

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters on the 22nd, as of midnight, the number of confirmed cases increased by 353,980 from the previous day, bringing the cumulative total to 9,936,540. With less than 70,000 cases remaining to reach 10 million, it is certain that the cumulative number of confirmed cases will surpass 10 million today.

Since Omicron became the dominant strain domestically this year, the cumulative number of confirmed cases has increased tenfold in 45 days since surpassing 1 million on February 6. It took about a month to go from 1 million to 5 million, and only two weeks to reach 10 million.

In the past week, new confirmed cases peaked at a record high of 620,281 on the 17th, after 400,694 on the 16th, then decreased to 407,016 on the 18th, 381,454 on the 19th, and 334,708 on the 20th. The number of confirmed cases on the 21st, reflecting reduced testing over the weekend, was only 209,169. However, focusing on Wednesdays when cases surged, the first Wednesday of March (March 2) saw 200,000 cases, the second Wednesday (9th) exceeded 300,000, and the third Wednesday (16th) surpassed 400,000.

As the number of confirmed cases rapidly increases, the number of critically ill and deceased patients is also rising. The number of critically ill patients was 1,104 today, marking the 15th consecutive day above 1,000. Deaths also reached 384, the second highest after the 17th. The cumulative death toll from COVID-19 has now exceeded 13,000 (13,141).

Simultaneous Spread of Omicron and Stealth Omicron

Meanwhile, the proportion of Stealth Omicron, known to be 30% more transmissible than the Omicron variant, has risen sharply to 41.4%. The detection rate of Stealth Omicron in South Korea was only 0.8% in the fourth week of January, but increased to 4.9% in the third week of February, 10.3% in the fourth week, 22.9% in the first week of March, and 26.3% in the second week. Among imported cases during the same period, the proportion rose from 7.8% to 12.3%, 18.4%, 47.3%, 45.7%, and last week reached 56.9%, already exceeding half.

Experts believe that even with the increasing share of Stealth Omicron domestically, it is unlikely to develop into a new wave following the current Omicron outbreak. However, unlike the US and European countries where Stealth Omicron is causing a resurgence after the initial Omicron wave subsides, both Omicron variants are already simultaneously affecting South Korea, which may delay the predicted peak and increase its scale.

Professor Jeong Jae-hoon of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Gachon University College of Medicine said, "The proportion of BA.2 is gradually increasing and is expected to become dominant by late this month. In Europe, the dominance of BA.2 led to another rise, but in South Korea, rather than having two peaks, the outbreak is expected to be larger in scale with a longer curve."

Jung Eun-kyung, Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, also stated, "The increasing share of Stealth Omicron among Omicron variants and the recognition of confirmed cases through (expert-use) rapid antigen tests may delay the peak period and increase the scale of the outbreak."

According to initial analyses by the World Health Organization (WHO) and overseas health agencies, Stealth Omicron shows 30% higher transmissibility. However, clinical severity and hospitalization rates are reported to be almost the same.

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