Domestic COVID-19 Cumulative Deaths Exceed 30,000... "Hospital Beds Cannot Be Assured"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Byun Seon-jin] Due to the resurgence of COVID-19 during the winter season, the cumulative number of COVID-19 deaths in South Korea has surpassed 30,000. Experts warn that if the outbreak continues, the hospital bed situation cannot be considered safe.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters on the 21st, the cumulative number of COVID-19 deaths in South Korea reached 30,031 as of the 20th. It has been about 2 years and 9 months since the first COVID-19 death was reported in the country on February 20, 2020, but 81.5% (24,468 people) of these deaths occurred this year amid the spread of the Omicron variant.

The cumulative death toll reached 10,000 on March 12, and it took only one month to reach 20,000 (April 13). During the so-called '5th wave' when Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 were dominant, there were as many as 469 deaths in a single day (March 24). However, according to the Korean statistical site Our World in Data, the death rate per 1 million population in South Korea is 577.53, which is lower than the global average of 829.77. The domestic COVID-19 fatality rate initially recorded 2%, but it has now dropped to a level slightly higher than that of the flu (0.05?0.1%).

While the health authorities have defined the current phase as the '7th wave,' the number of deaths has recently been on the rise. On the 17th, the death toll reached 67, the highest in 53 days, and remained in the 60s for three consecutive days. As of this date, the number of critically ill patients was 451, an increase of 32 from the previous day (419). This is the highest number in two months since September 21 (494). The occupancy rate of intensive care unit (ICU) beds for critically ill patients was 33.6%, and the occupancy rate for semi-critical care beds (48.1%) is approaching 50%. Since the saturation point is considered to be when ICU bed occupancy reaches 80%, experts suggest that if the outbreak continues, available beds should be proactively increased.

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