Prime Minister Kim: "Next 1-2 Weeks Will Be a Turning Point for COVID, Checking Cold Medicine Supply"

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum is delivering opening remarks at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting on COVID-19 response held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 23rd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Kim Hyewon] Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said on the 23rd, "The next one to two weeks will be a turning point in overcoming the COVID-19 crisis."

At the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) meeting held at the Government Seoul Office on the same day, Prime Minister Kim stated, "If we endure this period well as we have steadily prepared, I am confident that we can bring forward the decline of the outbreak by even a day and minimize the regrettable sacrifices."

He added, "The government will make every effort to minimize severe cases and deaths while keeping in mind the situation after the peak."

At the CDSCH meeting, the recent concerns regarding the supply of cold medicine were reviewed. Prime Minister Kim said, "We will closely address the supply issues of essential medicines such as pediatric syrup cold medicine so that citizens receiving home treatment and those vulnerable to health issues during seasonal changes do not worry."

He also mentioned that the domestic share of the Omicron subvariant Stealth Omicron (BA.2) has exceeded 40%, explaining, "BA.2 has slightly higher transmissibility compared to Omicron, but there is no significant difference in severity or hospitalization rates, and the currently used treatments and vaccines are equally effective, so the existing quarantine system can adequately respond."

He emphasized, "About 1.8 million citizens are receiving home treatment," and earnestly requested, "I sincerely ask for a change in awareness and behavior in the medical field so that confirmed cases, excluding severe COVID-19 patients, can be treated within the general medical system."

He continued, "Recently, there have been cases where people avoid testing even if they have symptoms," and urged active testing, saying, "No matter how low the risk of Omicron is, the actual severity varies from person to person, and delaying testing until infection is confirmed may result in missing the treatment window."

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