Jeong Gi-seok "Increase in COVID-19 Severity and Fatality Rate... Health Authorities Must Stay Alert"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] Jeong Gi-seok, head of the COVID-19 Special Response Team (Chairman of the National Infectious Disease Crisis Response Advisory Committee), stated that the severity rate and fatality rate of COVID-19 are increasing, and that quarantine authorities need to be vigilant.

At a regular briefing on the 31st, Jeong said, "The COVID-19 severity rate has increased by 0.19% over the past five weeks, and the fatality rate has also risen from 0.06% to 0.09%. Although it seems slight, the relative increase rate is 50%, so this is a time when quarantine authorities need to be alert and closely monitor the situation."

Jeong cited hidden infections and an increase in the proportion of confirmed cases among high-risk groups as factors contributing to the rise in fatality and severity rates. He explained, "Hidden infections may not be properly diagnosed or confirmed, which reduces the total number of confirmed cases and makes the fatality rate appear relatively higher. At the same time, the proportion of confirmed cases among those aged 60 and older is also on the rise."

He described variant viruses as a "new threat." Jeong stated, "In Europe, it is expected that the BQ.1 variant will account for more than 90% in January. Although the proportion of variants like BQ.1 in our country is still less than 1% of total confirmed cases, these variants are reported to have greater immune evasion and higher transmissibility than BA.5, so thorough observation is necessary."

In this context, Jeong likened oral antiviral treatments and vaccines to the spear and shield in the fight against COVID-19. He explained, "Research so far shows that natural immunity lasts longer than artificial immunity, but natural immunity is very risky for high-risk groups and has the major drawback that immunity cannot be acquired at will," emphasizing the importance of immunity formation through vaccination.

Jeong continued, "Recently, the vaccination rate during the winter season has been very low, which is concerning. If immunity is not sufficiently high, the severity and fatality rates will inevitably increase," recommending winter vaccinations. According to an analysis by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, if no vaccines had been administered, COVID-19 deaths would have reached about 145,000, whereas the number of deaths in Korea during the second week of this month was around 25,000. Jeong stressed, "The fact that about 120,000 deaths were actually prevented from a disease that could have caused 140,000 deaths is very important," urging high-risk groups to get vaccinated during the winter season.

Jeong also emphasized that oral COVID-19 treatments are the "spear that directly kills the COVID-19 virus" and that prescription rates must be increased. He said, "Two treatments are available in our country and we are well prepared, but the prescription rate for high-risk groups aged 60 and above is still less than 30%. For high-risk groups, taking this medication 100% is the only way to prevent increases in severity and fatality rates."

Regarding the recent increase in the weekly average number of confirmed cases and critically ill patients, Jeong stated that it cannot yet be considered the beginning of the 7th wave. He said, "If the number of patients suddenly increases one day, we can definitively say it is the 7th wave. However, at present, it is very difficult to predict whether the numbers will gradually rise, rise quickly, or plateau at this level without further progression."

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