Sudden Cold Wave Hits Gyeonggi-do, 'Cold-Related Illnesses' Surge... 112 Emergency Dispatches

Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] As the cold wave with temperatures below minus 10 degrees Celsius continues recently, the number of 'cold-related illness patients' in Gyeonggi Province is rapidly increasing.

According to the Gyeonggi Provincial Fire and Disaster Headquarters on the 22nd, from the 1st of last month to the 21st of this month, the number of cold-related illness dispatch cases in the Gyeonggi area totaled 112, including 107 cases of hypothermia, 3 cases of frostbite, and 2 cases of immersion foot/immersion hand (symptoms of numbness, tingling pain, and swelling in the hands and feet).

Among the major dispatch cases, on the 18th at 4:36 p.m., a man in his 50s, presumed to be homeless, was found collapsed in a public restroom at a park in Yongin during subzero weather by a resident. The ambulance team that responded to the report confirmed that he was in a hypothermic state with no consciousness, breathing, or pulse, performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and transported him to a nearby hospital.

Earlier, on the 15th of last month at 8:05 a.m., a 30-year-old worker at a delivery logistics site in Ansan reported to 119 that his whole body was trembling with paralysis symptoms and high fever. The dispatched ambulance team kept the worker warm and transferred him to the hospital.

The Provincial Fire and Disaster Headquarters urged caution regarding cold-related illnesses amid the ongoing cold wave.

Cold-related illnesses are caused directly by cold and include hypothermia, frostbite, and immersion foot/immersion hand, which cause harm to the human body. In severe cases, ischemic heart disease, cerebral infarction, and cerebral hemorrhage may occur.

The Fire and Disaster Headquarters advised avoiding prolonged outdoor activities to prevent hypothermia and to immediately move to a warm place and raise body temperature if symptoms of hypothermia appear.

They also added that since blood pressure rises when the temperature drops rapidly, patients with underlying conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases should be more cautious about cold-related illnesses.

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