Weekly Confirmed Cases and Severe Cases Decrease by 20% Compared to Last Week... Reinfection Rate at 9.66% (Update)

Infection Reproduction Number Below 1 for 2 Consecutive Weeks
"Entering Peak Phase of Severe Cases and Deaths"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] As the weekly number of COVID-19 cases has decreased for two consecutive weeks, the number of deaths and critically ill patients has also declined compared to the previous week.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters on the 6th, the average daily number of weekly confirmed cases in the fifth week of August was 85,540, a 22.2% decrease from the previous week. This marks a decrease for two consecutive weeks following the prior week.

The reproduction number, which indicates whether the spread of infection is increasing, also remained below 1 for two consecutive weeks, dropping from 0.98 in the fourth week of August to 0.83 in the fifth week. A reproduction number above 1 indicates an expanding outbreak, while below 1 indicates containment.

However, the proportion of high-risk individuals aged 60 and over among confirmed cases is on the rise. Lim Sook-young, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters’ situation management team, stated, "Although incidence rates have decreased across all age groups, the proportion of high-risk individuals aged 60 and above continues to increase." The share of those aged 60 and over among weekly confirmed cases rose from 21.7% in the second week of August to 22.7% in the third week, 23.7% in the fourth week, and 24.0% in the fifth week.

The average daily number of critically ill patients has entered a downward trend for the first time in eight weeks. As of the fifth week of August, it decreased by 21.8% from the previous week to 467 patients. The number of deaths also declined for the first time in six weeks, decreasing by 0.8% to 515 during the same period.

Lim explained, "It has been two weeks since the peak of the current outbreak, so we believe that the number of critically ill patients and deaths has now entered the peak phase." He added, "We expect the numbers to decrease slightly further this week." However, he noted, "Unlike previous outbreaks where there was a sharp decline, we anticipate the outbreak pattern to continue with a certain scale while gradually decreasing."

The authorities also suggested that the forecast for a resurgence in the fall and winter as the weather gets colder might be delayed. Lim said, "Since the resurgence during the summer was relatively significant, the next resurgence is expected to come later than in the fall or winter." He added, "Unless there is a major variable such as the spread of a new variant, the situation is expected to remain stable for the time being."

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, the proportion of suspected reinfection cases among weekly confirmed cases in the fourth week of last month was 9.66%, an increase of 2.02 percentage points from the previous week (7.64%). The reinfection rate among weekly confirmed cases has been rising weekly: 6.11% in the first week of August, 6.65% in the second week, 7.64% in the third week, and 9.66% in the fourth week. As of the 28th of last month, the cumulative number of suspected reinfection cases was 364,548, accounting for 1.62% of the total cumulative confirmed cases.

The detection rate of the BA.5 variant increased by 0.5 percentage points from the previous week to 96.0%, establishing it as the dominant strain. Other variant detection rates were BA.4 at 0.8%, BA.2.3 at 0.3%, BA.2.12.1 at 0.2%, and BA.2 at 0.2%.

The BA.2.75 variant was detected 34 additional times, bringing the cumulative total to 136 cases confirmed domestically. Among the newly detected cases, 5 were domestic and 29 were imported.

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