Severe COVID-19 Patients Remain in 500s for Third Day... Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters: "Daily Evaluation of 'Severe Beds' to Improve Efficiency"

"Efficient Use of Limited Severe Bed Capacity, Minimizing Death Toll"
"Preparing for Increase in Critical Patients Over Next 2-3 Weeks"
Variant PCR Analysis Method Developed, to be Implemented from Early Next Month

On the 24th, as the spread of COVID-19 continued, the screening clinic at Mapo-gu Public Health Center in Seoul was crowded with citizens. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The government plans to strengthen the adequacy evaluation of severe care beds to reduce the severity and mortality rates of COVID-19, and has developed a variant gene amplification (PCR) analysis method to respond to new variant viruses, which will be implemented from early September.

On the 26th, Kim Seong-ho, the 2nd General Coordinator of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Head of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters), announced this plan during his opening remarks at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting held that day.

On the same day, the number of new confirmed cases was about 101,000, marking the lowest figure for a Friday. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters judged that the COVID-19 resurgence, which had continued for the past two months, is shifting to a downward trend. However, the number of critically ill patients remained in the 500s for three consecutive days, indicating that vigilance cannot be relaxed. The number of deaths recorded that day was 81.

Kim, the 2nd General Coordinator, explained, "The government is preparing for a situation where the number of critically ill patients increases over the next 2 to 3 weeks by changing the adequacy evaluation of beds from the current four times a week to daily starting next week, and shortening the discharge order compliance period from 2 days to 1 day. We will utilize the limited severe care beds more efficiently to minimize the number of deaths."

He also stated that since repeated resurgences are occurring due to the emergence of variant viruses, a variant PCR analysis method for early detection will be developed and implemented from early September.

Kim said, "The government is operating an enhanced surveillance system by expanding the number of participating medical institutions for testing to 150 sites and conducting more than 1,600 genome analyses per week to detect new variant viruses early. We have also developed a variant PCR analysis method that can quickly detect the BA.2.75 variant virus, which will be implemented early next month."

Meanwhile, the government plans to establish and announce countermeasures in consultation with local governments and the medical community in preparation for the Chuseok holiday.

Kim, the 2nd General Coordinator, said, "We are preparing the 'COVID-19 Prevention and Medical Response Measures for the Chuseok Holiday' and will announce it soon. We ask all citizens to actively participate in basic preventive measures and vaccination until the prevention situation stabilizes."

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