Seoul – South Korean health authorities announced on Friday their plan to provide treatments for 260,000 COVID-19 patients in response to a recent surge in infections attributed to a summer wave of the virus.
According to Yonhap News Agency, a senior official from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), the decision follows increased usage of treatments and active negotiations with global pharmaceutical companies. The KDCA has commenced the distribution of these treatments, aiming for nationwide availability by the end of the month. Additionally, the agency is preparing to administer vaccines targeting KP.3, an omicron subvariant that accounted for 45.5 percent of recent cases in South Korea.
Despite the increase in cases, the KDCA noted that the current wave has not led to a significant rise in critically ill patients or fatalities compared to previous outbreaks. The overall fatality rate among COVID-19 patients has stabilized at 0.1 percent since 2022, with even lower rates observed in individuals aged 50 and below. This rate is comparable to or less than that of seasonal influenza, indicating a controlled severity of the virus among the general population.
Furthermore, the KDCA stated that it does not plan to mandate face masks at this stage, though it has upgraded its guidelines to a strong advisory. Officials emphasized the importance of public cooperation but confirmed that no penalties would be imposed for non-compliance with mask-wearing recommendations.