COVID-19 Expected to Peak in Late August, Beware of Reinfection https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/123/0002340032 Recently, as cases of COVID-19 have been rapidly increasing, there are observations suggesting that one in four patients experiencing respiratory symptoms such as a runny nose and cough could be infected with COVID-19. On the 8th, Professor Eom Joong-sik from the Infectious Diseases Department at Gachon University Gil Medical Center appeared on CBS Radio's "Kim Hyun-jung's News Show" and stated, "It's difficult to accurately track the trend of confirmed cases as the monitoring system isn't as precise as it used to be, but the trend is clearly moving toward a peak," he said. Professor Eom noted, "Since 2 to 3 weeks ago, the number of hospitalized patients has started to increase again, and considering that critically ill patients are emerging, it seems that we are certainly moving toward the peak of the outbreak." He added, "In late June and early July, the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 was around 90 to 100, but now it has exceeded 450, and it seems that this number may reach 500 to 600 by the end of this week." He continued, "We expect a significant increase in cases in the third and fourth weeks of August, with the number of critically ill patients likely to rise further after that." https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20240808_0002843369 When the host mentioned that "these days, there’s talk that most colds are essentially COVID-19," Professor Eom explained, "Based on testing, one in four respiratory patients are COVID-19 cases," adding, "There are also cases of seasonal illnesses like air-conditioning sickness and the common cold mixed in." He also stated, "Since the symptoms are very similar, there are many cases where people mistake non-COVID illnesses for COVID-19 or vice versa, which can cause confusion." https://www.fnnews.com/news/202408080618332295 The virus currently spreading is a new variant called KP.3. Professor Eom said, "Globally, over 40% of cases are now due to KP.3, which is thought to accelerate the spread and increase the amplitude of the outbreak due to its immune escape capabilities," adding, "However, it does not seem to differ significantly in terms of severity or fatality." Furthermore, he emphasized, "The fact that we are in an endemic phase does not mean that COVID-19 has disappeared, but rather that we are living with it. As long as the population’s immunity is maintained to some extent, the outbreak will subside, but after 3 to 4 months, as overall immunity wanes, the outbreak will likely rise again." #COVID19 #Pandemic #HealthAlert #VirusOutbreak #StaySafe #NewVariant #Immunity #Healthcare #코로나19 #감염증 #KP3 #건강주의 All rights reserved Stay14 Bespoke
