This Summer's 'Heatwave' Causes 1,564 Heat-Related Illnesses... 13.7% Increase from Last Year

Disease Control Agency Reports 40% of Patients Are in Their 50s-60s... 9 Deaths from Heatstroke

The number of heat-related illness cases due to this summer's heatwave was recorded at 1,564, a 13.7% increase compared to last year (1,376 cases).

According to the '2022 Heat-Related Illness Emergency Room Surveillance System Operation Results' announced by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on the 7th, when classified by gender, males accounted for 1,256 cases (80.3%), significantly higher than females with 308 cases (19.7%). By age group, those in their 50s accounted for 344 cases (22.0%), those in their 60s 281 cases (18.0%), and those in their 40s 246 cases (15.7%), in that order.

The Heat-Related Illness Emergency Room Surveillance System monitors health damage caused by heatwaves at approximately 500 emergency medical institutions nationwide and has been operated every summer since 2011. This year, it was operated from May 20 to September 30.

The number of reported heat-related illness cases per 100,000 people was highest among those aged 80 and above at 6.4 cases, followed by those in their 70s at 4.3 cases, those in their 50s at 4.0 cases, and those in their 60s at 3.8 cases, indicating a higher incidence rate among the elderly.

By disease type, heat exhaustion was the most common with 809 cases (51.7%), followed by heat stroke with 315 cases (20.1%), heat cramps with 278 cases (17.8%), and heat syncope with 119 cases (7.6%).

By region, Gyeonggi-do had the highest number of cases at 353, followed by Gyeongsangnam-do with 152, Gyeongsangbuk-do with 142, Chungcheongnam-do with 135, Jeollanam-do with 124, and Seoul with 110 cases.

The locations where heat-related illnesses occurred were mostly outdoors, including outdoor workplaces with 581 cases (37.1%), rice paddies and fields with 230 cases (14.7%), and roadsides with 161 cases (10.3%).

Additionally, about half (51.4%) of heat-related illness cases occurred between 12 PM and 5 PM. By occupation, simple labor workers accounted for 395 cases (25.3%), unemployed individuals 175 cases (11.2%), and skilled agricultural, forestry, and fishery workers 153 cases (9.8%).

The estimated number of deaths due to heat-related illnesses was nine, all of which were due to heat stroke. By region, two deaths each occurred in Gyeonggi-do, Gyeongsangnam-do, and Incheon, and one death each in Jeollabuk-do, Chungcheongnam-do, and Chungcheongbuk-do.

The results of this year's Heat-Related Illness Emergency Room Surveillance System operation are scheduled to be published in an annual report in November.

Baek Kyung-ran, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, stated, "We will continue to operate the Heat-Related Illness Emergency Room Surveillance System to promptly recognize health impacts caused by heatwaves and inform the public to minimize health damage due to climate change." She added, "From December this year to February next year, we will operate the Cold-Related Illness Emergency Room Surveillance System."

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