15 out of 100 COVID-19 Cases in Seoul Are 'Reinfections'... "Active Vaccination Needed"

23.2% of Unvaccinated Confirmed Cases Are Reinfections
Approximately 4.8 Times Higher Than Confirmed Cases with 5 Vaccinations

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 21st that according to the analysis of COVID-19 confirmed cases in Seoul, reinfection cases have increased since June, reaching 14.99% in the first week of December (December 4?7), confirming that 15 out of every 100 confirmed cases were 'reinfections.'

Analyzing the characteristics of COVID-19 reinfected patients in Seoul over the past three months (October 1?December 7), more than 40% of confirmed cases in nursing hospitals and over 30% of confirmed cases in nursing facilities were reinfections. In particular, the proportion of reinfections among confirmed cases aged 60 and older has shown a continuous increasing trend (October 5.9% → November 8.7% → December 11.0%), indicating that special caution is needed for this vulnerable health group.

Additionally, among confirmed cases under 20 years old, who are highly active, about 1 in 5 (approximately 20%) were reinfections, highlighting the importance of vaccination and adherence to preventive measures.

This study also confirmed that vaccination reduces the risk of reinfection. As of October, 23.2% of unvaccinated confirmed cases were estimated to be reinfections, which is about 3.6 times higher than the reinfection rate among those who received four vaccine doses (6.5%) and about 4.8 times higher than those who received five doses (4.8%). The analysis shows that the more vaccine doses received, the lower the reinfection rate, consistent with domestic and international (U.S., Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency) research findings that vaccination reduces the risk of reinfection.

Recent domestic research identified the biggest reason for hesitancy toward additional vaccination as 'concerns about possible adverse reactions after additional vaccination (54.1%),' but actual reports of adverse reactions after COVID-19 vaccination in Seoul are mild, accounting for only 0.3% of vaccinated individuals (as of November 30).

The Seoul Metropolitan Government attributes the increase in suspected reinfection cases to a combination of factors: ▲ waning immunity from natural infection or vaccination over time, ▲ low vaccination rates during the winter season, and ▲ the continuous emergence of new variants, and forecasts that suspected reinfection cases will continue to rise.

Park Yumi, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Citizen Health Bureau, said, “The Infectious Disease Research Center analyzed Seoul’s confirmed case data to understand the characteristics of the COVID-19 epidemic, and the results showed that vaccination is effective in preventing reinfection. We hope that seniors aged 60 and over will actively participate in vaccination to protect their health.”

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