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| Residents wait for a COVID-19 test in a temporary center at Seoul Station, Sunday. Yonhap |
Those aged between 18 and 49 to get shots from Aug. 26
By Jun Ji-hye
The country has seen another death of a COVID-19 patient in their 20s, with concerns growing that the number of fatalities among unvaccinated young people could increase further as the fourth wave of coronavirus infections is showing no signs of abating.
This was the second death among young patients in their 20s this week, and the fifth this year.
The fatality rate for virus patients in their 20s has been lower than that of the elderly; however, amid soaring cases every day, this could increase, as most young people are yet to be vaccinated, while older people in their 60s and above have mostly received shots. The elderly were given priority status in the country's vaccination program.
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), Sunday, the nation added 1,442 new COVID-19 cases for Saturday, including 1,386 local infections, raising the total caseload to 199,787.
New daily cases have remained above 1,000 since early July, due to a resurgence in the greater Seoul metropolitan area. Infections have also appeared to be spreading to other parts of the country in recent weeks due to increased travel by people during the summer vacation season.
The KDCA said the patient in his 20s died Friday after having undergone medical treatment at a hospital since March 15.
"The patient had an underlying condition," a KDCA official said.
The fatality rate here for patients in their 20s is lower ― 0.01 percent ― than that for the entire population at 1.05 percent.
Among the 2,098 fatalities, as of Saturday, five were in their 20s, with two dying just last week amid the fourth wave of infections.
As the number of new daily cases has been hovering between 1,300 and 1,800, the ratio of critically ill patients under the age of 40 has also increased to 22.7 percent, almost double the 12.77 percent tallied at the beginning of last month.
"The government has said that the number of hospital intensive care beds is still sufficient, but there could be a limit to the capabilities of medical workers," said Chun Eun-mi of Ewha Womans University Medical Center. "If the number of patients in their 20s keeps increasing, their hospitalization could be delayed, and some of them could become critically ill."
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| Haeundae Beach in Busan was quieter than usual for summer, Sunday, amid the ongoing fourth wave of COVID-19 infections. Yonhap |
In a bid to speed up the vaccination of young people, the government announced detailed plans Friday, saying that about 17 million people aged between 18 and 49 will get their first shots of a vaccine between Aug. 26 and Sept. 30. The advance reservation system will be open Aug. 9 through Aug. 18, being made based on a person's date of birth.
"They will get Pfizer or Moderna shots," KDCA Commissioner Jung Eun-kyeong said during a media briefing. "We have secured a sufficient amount of vaccines, though the schedule and type of vaccines received could change in accordance with the supply situation."
The government is aiming to administer shots to about 70 percent of the entire population by September and to achieve herd immunity by November. In an effort to reach this goal, it is planning to bring in 29 million doses of vaccines in August and 42 million in September.
Experts say that a stable supply of vaccines will be key to achieving the government's goal.
"Once the vaccines are delivered as planned, there will be no problem," said Jung Ki-suck, a professor at Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital. "But a shortage of medical workers and the institutions at which people can get their shots could cause problems."
