Weekly COVID-19 cases increase by 10.3%... BN.1 detection rate exceeds 20% (Update)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Byeon Seon-jin] The weekly number of COVID-19 cases has increased by more than 10% compared to the previous week, continuing the spread of the winter resurgence. The spread of the BN.1 variant, derived from BA.2.75, is also accelerating.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters on the 21st, the weekly number of new cases in the second week of this month (December 11?17) was 455,364, an increase of 10.3% from the previous week. The weekly daily average number of cases, which had been in the 50,000 range until the previous week, rose to the 60,000 range (65,052 cases).

The effective reproduction number (Rt) is 1.08, maintaining above 1 for the ninth consecutive week. In particular, it has shown an upward trend for three consecutive weeks (1.00 → 1.04 → 1.08). An Rt above 1 indicates the spread of the epidemic.

The average daily number of severe and critical patients under treatment was 464, an increase of 4.5% from the previous week. The average daily number of new deaths was 46, a decrease of 10.0%. Among severe and critical patients, those aged 60 and over accounted for 88.8%, and among the deceased, those aged 60 and over accounted for 95.4%, making up the majority.

The intensive care unit (ICU) bed occupancy rate was 35.9%, and the semi-intensive care unit bed occupancy rate was 39.0%, respectively.

The detection rate of the BN.1 variant virus increased to 20.6%. The detection rate of the BN.1 variant has been steadily rising: 7.6% in the third week of November → 7.7% in the fourth week of November → 13.2% in the fifth week of November → 17.4% in the first week of December. Lim Sook-young, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters situation team, said, "BN.1 has immune evasion capabilities. It appears that its immune evasion ability has somewhat increased compared to BA.2.75, allowing it to evade immunity."

The estimated reinfection rate in the first week of December was 15.88%, an increase compared to the previous week (14.69%).

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