South Korea is bracing for a significant surge in Covid-19 cases, with a senior health ministry official predicting that the number of patients in the country could reach 350,000 by next week. This alarming forecast matches the peak seen in last year's summer wave, underscoring the relentless challenge posed by the pandemic despite ongoing efforts to control its spread. The government's strategy to combat this surge is centered on securing and distributing treatments and testing kits, a proactive approach aimed at preventing the healthcare system from being overwhelmed and mitigating the impact of the pandemic on the population.
The government has approved a reserve fund of 326.8 billion won for the additional purchase of treatments, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). This amount, sanctioned by the country's State Council, can procure approximately 262,000 doses of the treatment. The urgency of this measure is underscored by the fact that the use of therapeutics has surged more than 40-fold in a month due to the recent summer resurgence of Covid-19.
The KDCA and the Ministry of Strategy and Finance have been urgently pursuing procedures to secure a budget for additional purchases since late July. The government's plan is to supply the additional quantity to pharmacies nationwide by next week to stabilize the supply of treatment within this month.
In addition to securing treatments, the government is also ramping up its testing capabilities. It plans to supply more than 5 million testing kits by the end of this month. This is a crucial part of the strategy, as widespread testing is key to identifying and isolating cases, thereby helping to control the spread of the virus.
The urgency of the situation is further highlighted by data from the Korea Wastewater Surveillance Programme, run by the KDCA. The level of the Covid-19 virus in wastewater has nearly doubled in just a week, indicating a rapid spread of the virus in the community. This data is used to track the trend of the virus and aligns with the concern over rising cases in the country.
The current situation in South Korea is reminiscent of the challenges faced during the MERS outbreak in 2015. The country learned valuable lessons from that experience, which have informed its response to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the current surge in cases underscores the ongoing challenge of controlling the spread of the virus, even with these lessons learned and strategies in place.
The government's focus on distributing treatments and testing kits highlights the ongoing challenge to prevent the healthcare system from being overwhelmed and to mitigate the impact of the pandemic. The rising Covid-19 cases in South Korea are significant as they are expected to reach a level similar to the peak seen in the summer of the previous year, despite efforts to control the spread.
