Despite Vaccines and Treatments... Why Are Severe and Critical Patients Surging?

Severe Cases Over 500 for 9 Consecutive Days
New Infections Half of 6th Wave Level
Many 'Hidden Infections'... Leading to Higher Fatality Rate
Low Uptake of Updated Vaccines and Oral Treatments

On the 23rd, a notice regarding mask-wearing was posted at a bookstore in downtown Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy reporters Lee Gwan-ju and Byun Seon-jin] The number of severe COVID-19 patients in South Korea has been recording in the 500s for consecutive days, increasing the burden on the medical field. Despite the availability of updated vaccines and oral treatments, and the overall number of new confirmed cases being lower than during the 6th wave in July-August, experts analyze that the surge in severe cases is due to the presence of 'hidden infected individuals.'

According to the quarantine authorities on the 27th, as of midnight the previous day, the number of severe patients was counted at 583. Since the 18th (520 patients), when the number of severe patients rose to the 500s for the first time in three months, the figures have been 535 → 519 → 512 → 547 → 530 → 534 → 592 → 583, exceeding 500 for nine consecutive days. Although the intensive care unit (ICU) bed occupancy rate remains below 40%, the actual burden on medical staff at major large hospitals in Seoul and elsewhere is increasing. A representative from a tertiary general hospital stated, “Patients assigned to severe beds after visiting the emergency room are in very poor condition,” adding, “As soon as a bed becomes available, a new patient is admitted immediately, so the burden on medical staff is considerable.”

The number of new confirmed cases in the current 7th wave is lower than during the summer 6th wave. In the third week of this month (18th?24th), the total number of new confirmed cases was 471,250, averaging 67,321 per day. At the peak of the 6th wave in the third week of August, the daily average of new confirmed cases was about 127,585, roughly twice as many. Nevertheless, the surge in severe cases during the 7th wave, comparable to the 6th wave, is largely influenced by hidden confirmed cases. Baek Soon-young, emeritus professor at the Catholic University College of Medicine, explained, “The recent number of severe patients being comparable to the peak of the previous summer wave means there are many hidden infected individuals. COVID-19 infected people with symptoms who do not get tested do not appear in statistics, but severe patients, due to life-threatening conditions, inevitably appear in the numbers.” This could lead to an increase in the COVID-19 fatality rate.

On the 21st, medical staff at a hospital in Seoul are preparing for the additional COVID-19 vaccinations for the winter season. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Stagnant additional winter vaccinations are also cited as a major factor. Currently, 9 out of 10 severe patients are identified as high-risk individuals aged 60 or older. However, the booster vaccination rate for the elderly, which prevents severe illness, was only 29.3% as of the previous day. This is far below the 50% vaccination rate threshold set by the government for lifting indoor mask mandates. Alongside vaccines, the average prescription rate of oral treatments for patients aged 60 and above to prevent severe illness was 37.6% during the second week of this month (11th?17th). Although this has steadily increased by 1.8 percentage points compared to the previous week, it still falls short of half, prompting calls for more proactive prescriptions.

Meanwhile, the quarantine authorities will terminate the COVID-19 dedicated base hospitals, which have been operating since 2020, at the end of this month. Some express concerns that the absence of these base hospitals during the winter wave, when the number of severe patients is increasing, could lead to a bed shortage crisis. Fortunately, the 7th wave is increasing gradually rather than sharply. Professor Baek commented, “Considering the recent COVID-19 trends, the gradual increase suggests that the number of severe patients will not rise sharply,” adding, “During winter, deaths from high-risk groups due to COVID-19, influenza, and myocardial infarction are common, so it is desirable to operate hospital beds comprehensively.”

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