"COVID-19 to Spread Until the End of This Month... Fatality Rate at Seasonal Flu Level"

Disease Control Headquarters Focuses on Protecting High-Risk Groups

The COVID-19 outbreak is expected to continue until the end of this month and then gradually decrease. The government stated that the current outbreak situation is part of the process of COVID-19 becoming endemic, and plans to focus on protecting high-risk groups such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 21st, Ji Young-mi, Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), explained at the COVID-19 task force briefing, "The summer outbreak is expected to increase until the end of August and then decrease," adding, "KP.3, a descendant of Omicron, spread during a period when the winter outbreak was relatively mild and vaccination rates were low."

She continued, "From January 2020 to August last year, the cumulative fatality rate of COVID-19 was 0.1%, and last year's fatality rate was 0.05%. The fatality rate of the Omicron variant is similar to seasonal influenza, but it is necessary to protect the elderly." Regarding KP.3, which currently shows the highest variant prevalence domestically and internationally, it has been confirmed that its immune evasion ability has slightly increased compared to previous variants, but there are no reports linking it to increased severity upon infection.

Director Ji stated, "The current outbreak situation should be seen as part of the process of COVID-19 becoming endemic, not as a crisis like the previous COVID-19 pandemic," and added, "However, caution is needed due to the high fatality rate among the elderly, and the government is making every effort to minimize health damage by protecting high-risk groups such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions."

The KDCA is responding to this outbreak through management of infection-vulnerable facilities and strengthening medical response, establishing COVID-19 infection prevention guidelines, securing COVID-19 therapeutics and diagnostic kits, and conducting vaccination for the 2024?2025 season.

Director Ji said, "We will operate joint task forces with local governments to strengthen patient management at public health centers from the early stages of patient occurrence," and added, "We will also establish a medical response system to ensure timely treatment according to severity in preparation for an increase in COVID-19 patients." She further stated, "We will stably supply therapeutics and diagnostic kits and introduce the COVID-19 JN.1 vaccine, which is effective against the recent outbreak variant, to begin vaccinations in October."

The KDCA expects that the currently prevalent KP.3 variant does not show significant genetic differences from another variant, JN.1, so the JN.1 vaccine is anticipated to be effective against KP.3 as well. Director Ji emphasized, "To safely get through this outbreak, it is important to follow COVID-19 infection prevention guidelines," and urged, "High-risk groups, including the elderly, should strictly adhere to preventive measures such as wearing masks and actively participate in the new JN.1 COVID-19 vaccination starting in October."

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