The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is re-emerging at a breakneck speed. With the omicron variant of the virus KP.3 known to be leading the resurgence, no transmission or severity has been confirmed.

According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) on the 6th, the number of COVID-19 hospitalized patients has surged 5.1 times in the past four weeks. In a survey of 220 hospital-level sample monitoring agencies with 200 beds or more nationwide, 91 new COVID-19 hospitalized patients in the first week of July, 148 in the second week of July, 225 in the third week of July, and 465 in the fourth week of July.

The COVID-19 pathogen detection rate also increased from 11.6 percent in the first week of July to 29.2 percent in the fourth week of July, surging 17.6 percentage points during the same period. The average detection rate in July was 20.3 percent, more than tripled from June (6.4 percent).

In particular, the detection rate of the Omicron variant of the virus KP.3 rose significantly from 12.1% in June to 39.8% in July.

It was analyzed that the spread of the virus was accelerated because people did not wear masks as temperatures rose and movement at home and abroad increased.

Sales of self-diagnosis kits are also increasing rapidly as the number of COVID-19 patients increases. According to statistics from the Care Insight, a pharmacy field data analysis service, sales of COVID-19 self-diagnosis kits increased 43.8% from the previous week from July 21 to 27. The price of kits, which had fallen to the 1,000 won range after the declaration of the end of the pandemic, has also recently risen to the 3,000 won range.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plans to introduce new COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax in October to inoculate those aged 65 or older.

Hong Jung-ik, director of the infectious disease policy bureau at the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said, "The new vaccine is a vaccine that can prevent JN.1, an omicron variant virus that is currently prevalent in the first half of the year. The JN.1 vaccine is known to be effective against KP.3 or KP.2, which is currently prevalent."

According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, not only COVID-19, but also infectious diseases such as hand-foot-and-mouth disease, whooping cough, and mycoplasma pneumonia are prevalent at the same time.

Experts recommend wearing masks to prevent infectious diseases and avoiding overwork or lack of sleep so that immunity does not decline.

Lee Seul-gi, reporter for Hankyung. seulkee@hankyung.com