"COVID-19 is safe, the danger remains" When will it be free
Aug 26, 2024
COVID-19 is rapidly spreading despite the late summer heat wave.
The number of COVID-19 sample surveillance hospitalized patients increased about 6.4 times in a month, from 226 in the third week of July to 1444 in the third week of August, according to quarantine authorities, which are expected to peak this week. In the clinical field, more than half of the patients who visit the outpatient and emergency room due to respiratory symptoms are currently estimated to be confirmed to be COVID-19.
The reason why COVID-19, which had been quiet for a while, is spreading again is because the virus continues to evolve. Experts explain that the mutation in the site corresponding to the virus spike protein has increased people's ability to avoid already formed immunity and attach to human cells to multiply.
The main culprit of this spread is the Omicron KP.3 mutation, which is said to be more painful among confirmed patients than in the past, but it is actually an individual difference in feeling symptoms, and it is not much different from the existing COVID-19. In addition, the severity rate is similar when looking at data from foreign countries that have already experienced the spread of this mutation before us.
As a result, experts are concerned that the public, who has become insensitive to COVID-19 despite the rapid resurgence, now considers it a simple cold.
Choi Won-seok, a professor of infectious diseases at Korea University Ansan Hospital, said "COVID-19 is much more contagious compared to a cold, causing a large-scale epidemic and making far more severe patients." It is a serious problem for the elderly with weak immunity or those with underlying diseases, so we should thoroughly follow the existing prevention rules together to prevent the spread, and if you have symptoms, you should be tested immediately and take action," he stressed.
Professor Choi also said, "'After confirmation, I often don't take medicine saying I'm not very sick, but unlike the flu, which has severe fever and pain in the beginning, COVID-19 shows mild symptoms in the beginning." As it often progresses to severe over time, high-risk groups (aged, underlying patients) need to take treatments or use antiviral drugs to prevent this. In particular, there are cases that rapidly deteriorate after one to two weeks or 10 days of occurrence, so symptoms such as difficulty breathing should be carefully examined," he said.
When will we be free from COVID-19.
In response, Professor Choi stated, "COVID-19 is much more contagious than swine flu and MERS in the past, and continues to evolve by cleverly acquiring the ability to multiply in the human body. In addition, there are many scholars who believe that we are likely to continue to go with humanity as our past infection experiences and immunity acquired through vaccines fall short of lifelong immunity to COVID-19." "However, as we have an improved understanding of COVID-19, and although limited, we also have vaccines and treatments, we can reduce the threat of COVID-19 through continued medical advances and public health responses."
The number of COVID-19 sample surveillance hospitalized patients increased about 6.4 times in a month, from 226 in the third week of July to 1444 in the third week of August, according to quarantine authorities, which are expected to peak this week. In the clinical field, more than half of the patients who visit the outpatient and emergency room due to respiratory symptoms are currently estimated to be confirmed to be COVID-19.
The reason why COVID-19, which had been quiet for a while, is spreading again is because the virus continues to evolve. Experts explain that the mutation in the site corresponding to the virus spike protein has increased people's ability to avoid already formed immunity and attach to human cells to multiply.
The main culprit of this spread is the Omicron KP.3 mutation, which is said to be more painful among confirmed patients than in the past, but it is actually an individual difference in feeling symptoms, and it is not much different from the existing COVID-19. In addition, the severity rate is similar when looking at data from foreign countries that have already experienced the spread of this mutation before us.
As a result, experts are concerned that the public, who has become insensitive to COVID-19 despite the rapid resurgence, now considers it a simple cold.
Choi Won-seok, a professor of infectious diseases at Korea University Ansan Hospital, said "COVID-19 is much more contagious compared to a cold, causing a large-scale epidemic and making far more severe patients." It is a serious problem for the elderly with weak immunity or those with underlying diseases, so we should thoroughly follow the existing prevention rules together to prevent the spread, and if you have symptoms, you should be tested immediately and take action," he stressed.
Professor Choi also said, "'After confirmation, I often don't take medicine saying I'm not very sick, but unlike the flu, which has severe fever and pain in the beginning, COVID-19 shows mild symptoms in the beginning." As it often progresses to severe over time, high-risk groups (aged, underlying patients) need to take treatments or use antiviral drugs to prevent this. In particular, there are cases that rapidly deteriorate after one to two weeks or 10 days of occurrence, so symptoms such as difficulty breathing should be carefully examined," he said.
When will we be free from COVID-19.
In response, Professor Choi stated, "COVID-19 is much more contagious than swine flu and MERS in the past, and continues to evolve by cleverly acquiring the ability to multiply in the human body. In addition, there are many scholars who believe that we are likely to continue to go with humanity as our past infection experiences and immunity acquired through vaccines fall short of lifelong immunity to COVID-19." "However, as we have an improved understanding of COVID-19, and although limited, we also have vaccines and treatments, we can reduce the threat of COVID-19 through continued medical advances and public health responses."
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